MADISON – Whiffs of hickory and mesquite smoke, twangs of a guitar and the best ‘cue around will lead people to the second annual Railyard Barbecue Brawl and Music Festival on Oct. 29.

Historic downtown Madison will be the setting for this fall festival that opens at 11 a.m. and runs to 9:30 p.m.

This year’s event is unlike anything to happen in downtown Madison in its long-storied history, according to organizers. The brawl promises two days of barbecue-cooking fun and entertainment, which will culminate with four musical performances.

The headliner will be country music’s up-and-coming star Walker Montgomery, who will rev up the crowd with his hit, “Out of Nowhere,” written by Corey Crowder, Jared Mullins, Joey Hyde and Morgan Wallen. Montgomery’s playlist includes “Wouldn’t Be a Country Boy,” “You Heard it Here First,” “She Don’t Know” and “Bad Day To Be A Beer.”

Special guests for the brawl’s entertainment will be Dylan Marlowe with his hit single, “I’ll Keep the Country”; The Red Clay Strays band with their new single, “Good Godly Woman”; and the Falcon Punch band with their music, “Tennessee Whiskey.”

These singers and instrumentalists will keep the upbeat atmosphere from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The barbecue contest will have two divisions, Shade Tree and Master Series competitions.

For the Shade Tree contest, teams must cook two types of meat, chicken and pork ribs. The cooking source must be wood, wood pellets or charcoal. Rules and regulations from Kansas City Barbecue Society or KCBS apply. All team leads must be at least 18 years old.

A Master Series Sanctioned Contest requires the teams to cook four types of meat — chicken, pork ribs, pork butt and brisket. The cooking source must be wood, wood pellets or charcoal. KCBS rules and regulations apply.

Barbecue teams will start unloading on Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. Team members with a wristband will have 24/7 access until noon on Oct. 30, when equipment will be unattended. Competition cooking will begin the morning of Oct. 29.

Meat turn-in will be at noon for the Master Series professional teams and at 2 p.m. for the Shade Tree groups.

Registration fee for the Shade Tree teams is $250. Master Series entries will pay $400.

General admission tickets to the Railyard Barbecue Brawl and Music Festival are $20, plus a $2.85 fee and $2.06 sales tax (total $24.91). For tickets, visit eventbrite.com/e/railyard-bbq-brawl-2022-tickets-401380769687. Children who are 10 years old and younger will be admitted free.

New this year, a complimentary shuttle will pick up and return guests at Madison City School Stadium at 211 Celtic Drive. Guests also can park at the stadium and walk to the nearby festival.

Organizers encourage everyone to arrive early, claim your spot in the field on Martin Street and let the children play in the outdoors on the inflatable amusements. Festivalgoers can eat at four barbecue tents, and enjoy the smells coming from 50 cooking teams, all vying for this KCBS-sanctioned BBQ brawl.

For more information, email railyardbbqfest@gmail.com or visit railyardbbqbrawl.com.