HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The 6th Annual Downtown BBQ Showdown, presented by The Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood Association, along with Brown Bottling Group, will take place on Saturday, October 21, at Walthall Park in Hattiesburg. Participating BBQ Teams will set up on Friday, with the public event being Saturday from 10:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. with great food and music in a family fun atmosphere in Downtown Hattiesburg.
The Hattiesburg event is sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS), whose mission is to recognize barbeque as America's Cuisine and to celebrate, teach, preserve, and promote barbecue as a culinary technique, sport, and art form. In addition to BBQ, the event will feature a Kids’ Fun Zone at Walthall Park, in cooperation with Hattiesburg’s Habitat for Humanity Chapter. The Kids’ Fun Zone will also offer face painting and arts and crafts.
"This is the first and only KCBS sanctioned competition in Hattiesburg," said Brian Saffle, event chair. "This professional level competition draws BBQ teams from across the Southeast to participate, and these teams compete for prize money and points that go towards their KCBS standing. It’s a high-stakes cooking competition being ranked by professional BBQ judges. Several teams are participating in the People’s Choice award, and locals are encouraged to taste samples and vote for their favorites," Saffle said.
"We are excited to announce that the all-you-can-eat BBQ will be provided by one of Downtown Hattiesburg's newest restaurants, Murky Waters Blues and BBQ. Their menu has already received rave reviews in the community, and we are pleased to have them join our event. We will also have a Kids’ Fun Zone this year, and we appreciate the work of Habitat for Humanity for offering this great addition to our event," Saffle said.
Murky Waters will also serve potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw with the purchase of an admission ticket. Adult tickets are $15 each, kids ages 6 to 12 are $10, and kids under six are free. Murky Waters will have a great selection of beer for purchase along with water and soft drinks. Event t-shirts, unique foods, crafts, and art provided by selected vendors will also be for sale.
The Kids Zone, being offered by Hattiesburg’s Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, will offer a jump house and obstacle course. Wristbands are available for $5 for the full day, and supervision will be provided in the fenced area for kids to play. Proceeds from the wristband sales will go towards the local building fund for the chapter’s mission of providing affordable housing to qualified families.
This year’s event will also benefit The Field House for the Homeless. As part of the 250 KCBS Meals Mission, the event will provide The Field House for the Homeless with Boston Butt's prepared by participating teams.
"In years past, we have been able to provide Edwards Street Mission with more than 350 lbs of cooked meat to help supplement their food bank," Saffle said.
The competition judges best beef brisket, pork shoulder/butt, chicken, and pork ribs. Cash and prizes are awarded to the Grand Champion, Reserve Champion, and for 3rd Overall. Prizes will also provided for the People’s Choice, and 1st through 5th place in each meat division.
“We still have slots available for competitors, vendors and sponsors. Anyone interested in entering a team, being a sponsor, or being a vendor can visit our website,” Saffle said.
For more information: online visit http://www.bbqshowdown.blogspot.com or on Facebook follow us at www.facebook.com/DowntownBbqShowdown
About Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood Association (HHNA)
Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood (HHN), in Downtown Hattiesburg, Mississippi is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the City. The neighborhood is a well-maintained, 23 block area listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). HHNA has received several awards and recognition over the years as being a leader in the community in the areas of preservation, community activism, and community involvement. Most recently, HHNA was a leading voice in the City Redistricting efforts. In addition, HHNA was recognized by the Mississippi Municipal League, in July 2012 with the Award of Excellence for Planning and Economic Development (over 10,000) through the City of Hattiesburg; and recognized by the American Planning Association in 2011 as one of the 10 Great Neighborhoods in America. Chosen from over 150 nominees nationwide, HHN was selected as the first place in Mississippi to receive this designation.
Other HHNA events include the Annual Victorian Candle lit Christmas held every year the second weekend in December, and the Downtown Crawfish Jam held each year in April.
For more information on HHNA visit our website at www.hattiesburghistoricneighborhood.com