BBQ Competition Hogging Up Festival Photos

Hog-It-Up's mascot on top their Stump's Smoker made for interesting photography.

The wife and I are finally recuperating from the Hogging Up BBQ Festival.  For a first year event I was pleased that I could do some good for the community and the charity organizations we were working with and for; and was able to bring some new folks into the town of Winchester for the weekend. This included 26 professional BBQ teams and over 40 judges , KCBS reps, and volunteers from all over the map.  Not to mention a lot of folks from out of town came to visit.

Seeing the happiness on Pop Pop's Chicken and Pig's little girls' face made our day!

OVERALL:  With the community's help we were able to raise:

$2024 and counting for CancerCare.org.
$600 to the local Assembly of God Church
$400 for the  local Clear Brook Volunteer Fire Department
and give the beer/wine profits 100% to the Local Winchester Exchange Group.

It was a lot of work but we are please with the results.


KCBS COMPETITION:  We felt the KCBS competition went smoothly and we did the best we can to put on a first rate competition and please our competitors with a great styling breakfast, lunch, and awards ceremony.  We want to thank those competitors who gave back $420 in prizes which went to help CancerCare.org.  The wife had fun making the recycled bbq trophies with the recycle group kids back home.

Some kiddie activities were good for parents, too!

THE FESTIVAL:  The festival itself was small for a first year festival, having limited kids activities which included mini gas powered cars, free Cornhole, and the Monster Truck rides.  You could also see an antique Fire truck and Blue Angels plane (won't be seeing these for awhile.) We were very happy Col. Blevins dropped off the plane, which was actually flown up til the 60's.

Me and Col. Steve Blevins, retired from the military discussing the sequester.

You could walk around Fri and Sat and see the different BBQ Teams cooking it up, and shop with crafters, artists, book authors, and bbq sauce gurus. The admission charge got you in to hear some top notch bands, but the public was under the impression they would be eating or tasting samples of BBQ.   Even the Winchester Star stated you could NOT taste the BBQ from the teams, so we are not sure where the confusion was on that.  Each festival is different. Some barbecue festivals have a people's choice but ours did not.  That all depends on where you go and the competition itself. In Frederick County, the health department would have inspected and made each team giving samples to pay $40 health permit. Many teams were not interested in doing this when in fact they had to be on a strict competition schedule.

You could eat a nice country style dinner with Big Fat Daddy's from BBQ Chicken and Rib Platters to regular fair food.

 
FOOD:  Big Fat Daddy's food was offered primarily to recoup the expenses it took to put on a festival without major monetary sponsors.  There were several other food vendors present offering ice cream and kettle corn.   It wouldn't have made sense to bring in a ton of food on a first year festival because then, no one makes any money.  We were able to donate over $1400 from our Food Stands towards CancerCare !

Thanks to my family and friends for busting their butts all week to help with our festival!

FRI NIGHT JUDGING:  Some VIPs were invited to judge on Friday night's Dessert and Anything Butt contest.  This included Deputy County Administrator Jay Tibbs and County Commissioner Ellen Murphy. 

Hog-it-Up BBQ won the dessert contest!! They are from Bluemont! Michelle & Mike Lackey

COMMUNITY SUPPORT:    It was hard getting support --for six months people ignored out press releases and one newspaper even trashed it.  We were tied up in county meetings for 9 months about a vendor permit that would have required our vendors to pay the county a $500 Itinerant Merchant fee for a liscense to sell items at our festival. We fought to get it changed, and well, it was changed to $30 but only 8 weeks before our festival.   We received a lot of product donations which was great, but having to fund the whole festival ourselves hurt. Some of that money was recouped with the food and vendor fees, but not all.  


Here we are on the News.

Ken Cuccinelli stopped by on Saturday.

 
GOOD TURNOUT  For a first year festival we had a nice crowd on Friday but then a storm came and some of our vendor tents were wiped out. Ken Cuccinelli  (the Virginia Attorney General)  made it a stop on his tour and TV3 news showed up Saturday.  A magazine came and a few newspapers to interview us again.  We received positive kudos from local papers and media, but the hours were hard on our vendors. Another storm came in Saturday night and rains.  Sunday our vendors were tired and the crowd was light.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE  We know a first year festival is a learning experience. Some of the Festival goers were upset about paying $5 to get in on Friday or $8 Saturday.  Now keep in mind we were able to donate $1000 back to the Volunteer Fire Dept and Assembly of God Church!  I don't know where you can  go to hear great music like this for $5 or $8, and we had a full schedule of bands and great music on the website.
 

Here's me with Gary Smallwood, who rocked 'em on Sunday.

Many said they wanted to eat bbq samples from the teams (again, this is an issue with the health department we'd have to settle, and even if we did, we don't have the manpower to have someone run a sample tent.)   The beer had limited hours and that's because the Exchange Group could not commit to the hours of our festival.  No local wines were offered and again, that decision was based on the Winchester Exchange Group. So many of the gripes were out of our control.

Good bands were featured all weekend long. This is Stoney Creek Bluegrass.

HIGHLIGHTS:  Among certain highlights was a rare "BBQ TOUR" where 3EYZ BBQ and HOG-IT-UP BBQ Professional BBQ teams, gave out tips to the public and answered questions about how to prepare, trim and season your ribs. This is very cool that these teams actually wanted to do this and interact with the public.  You may know 3EYZ BBQ from the Season Two Pitmasters TV Show.

Hey, Marylanders won, what can I say? 3EYZBBQ, way to go guys.

WHO WON?  3EYZ BBQ was also our Grand Champion!  They are from my home town of Maryland, so I was glad to see them win. Even though I figured it would be anyone's guess who won since we had judges from all over the map and not just local judges.  Many contests pick the closest and most local judges to avoid no show issues but my wife was adamant about mixing it up and picking those who would come and visit Winchester, which was the point of bringing some out of town revenue.

Full list of results is here: Results

Delicious Food!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:  Will we do this next year?  That remains to be seen. We've been asked to do it in other locations or other states, but it was a lot of work (nine months of dedication to one festival) and of course, costs a lot of money to put on an event.  We did what we set out to do and we'd like to leave it at that.  We  would like to thank our family and friends for putting in the excruciating hours and supporting us. It was very sentimental to us to have a big festival and raise money for something that meant so much to us personally, since losing my wife's mom to Cancer.  There's not a lot of BBQ places around Winchester. Maybe you need to use Betamenu to trade buy or sell barbecue in the meantime. One of our competitors, Jordan Springs, has the Jordan Springs Market near the fairgrounds and sells bbq on weekends!

Just like this little pig on my BBQ pit, I needed a vacation.

VACATION:  After this festival we needed a vacation to relax and reflect on things.  Here's a vacation idea:  how about having a great vacation package which includes dining out, sleeping in and afternoon tea?  Best vacation packages and ideas on Les Routiers , covering all UK and Ireland. Nothing like getting out and seeing the world and exploring great places to eat!

Here's my hideout. Danforth, Maine

A Taste of Carolina Tells What KCBS Competitors Want

Howard's got one helluva smoker!

More on Shelby, North Carolina Hog Happnin'

So, where were we? I was telling you about my trip to Shelby, North Carolina to do my Organizer Training for the Kansas City Barbeque Society portion (for my Hogging Up Festival) . I learned from Jerry and Joyce Gardner all the ins and outs of having a great contest and festival.....if you didn't read Part One (Grand Champion), or Part Two (Alston Bridges), better do so now.  The other reason I was there was to really talk to the competitors and find out what they are looking for.

Howard Wooten: One of the nicest guys on the BBQ circuit you'll ever meet. He's from Alexis, NC.

At Taste of Carolina, Howard Wooten

I spent a lot of time talking to Howard Wooten, from Alexis, North Carolina.  He is a regular at Hog Happnin' and explained a lot to me.  Lucky for him, this annual event is right down the street from his home, and knows most guys who are there.  The circuit is tight - they all know one another from this contest or that contest.

First off, I truly didn't realize how much money professional barbecue guys may spend going to a contest.  There may be an investment of $1000.00 easy wrapped in attending one event!  Howard explained, from the time they submit their applications to a contest, have to then buy the meat in four categories, ice, charcoal, supplies, and then factor in the high price of gas and tolls--it can get costly.

So I learned electric, space and water are requirements are a must for them.  If you have a ton of space, don't fret if they need a few extra feet.  Oh, and the goodie bags? Howard doesn't want another pen from a realtor he won't use. Why not give paper towels and aluminum foil, something he can use?

I'm watching carefully as Howard prepares his chicken. He is seasoning and getting ready to put it in the smoker.

For Howard, his huge smoker is set up on a trailer custom made to accommodate him and his right hand man Larry when they are competing. Complete set up with sinks, prep area, paper towels and chairs, this is where they do their thing. This of course didn't happen over night. Howard was originally on another team, then branched off on his own. Once he obtained the smoker he wanted, it took him a crane to get it on the trailer. (The trailer is actually build around the smoker.)

Now, chances of winning a competition like this are slim when you figure 60 to 80 competitors are usually in this contest. So why does he do it? 

The Family of the Kansas City Barbeque Socity

Howard says it's not about the money. It's a true love of barbecue, and networking with other barbecue guys, which some he considers like a second family.  (We heard that same story from everyone we asked...)  Howard's kids are all grown up and not too close by, so it's something he does and enjoys.   We get that - but how is there so much love in the KCBS? 


North Vs South Doesn't Really Matter, It's All One Big Family

This guy Charles Fretwell is from Boiling Springs, South Carolina, but welcomed to North Carolina just as well.

Howard doesn't mind all the local competitors, and says that he knows most of the out of state competitors, too as they compete together in contests , like B.S. Pitmeisters, (Charles Fretwell) from Boiling Springs, SC.  (Ironically, some of B.S. Pitmeister's best wins were in North Carolina, not South Carolina....) go figure.  

For Howard, it's not about where you are from or your zip code. It's a hobby (or sport) that everyone can enjoy doing. Howard has one golden rule, you have to help your neighbor if they need it, (need a thermometer, or ran out of ice,..) because one day you may need something too.  Now if you ask him an hour before turn in time and he may just give you a different answer, as tensions are high right before game time.

Charles Fretwell (BS Pitmeisters) was doing everything on his own in Shelby, from cooking to turning it in!

The only downfall? Howard explains that sometimes it's hard to understand why you did so bad at one contest, when you placed so well at another.  Even more confusing to competitors overall is when they see how the scores may appear high on your final sheet, but you still were not one of the top ten.  He says, it's all part of the challenge called BBQ Competitions, and you just regroup for your next competition.

How long will Howard do this?  As long as he wants to have good, clean fun.  Well, maybe not clean when you are covered in barbecue sauce.........but still......some of us would love to do that all weekend.   Special Thanks to Howard Wooten for his time and expertise.  More soon...

Anyone from the West Coast? 

Take advantage of this awesome opportunity:

We found an amazing price this week on our favorite CHOBANI Greek Yogurt. At only 10 for $10 at my local Safeway Store---you can check out the price and then check out how to “Just add Good” to your many recipes at http://chobani.com/kitchen/just-add-good  

Share recipes, get recipes, be a star!

Alston Bridges Barbecue North Carolina

Thursday the competitors were just arriving at the City Park in Shelby for the Hog Happnin'

Of course I'm going to drag out my trip to Shelby, NC as long as I can just to keep you in suspense. The wife and I went down primarily to see how a good Kansas City Barbeque Society festival is run for when we do HoggingUp next June. We learned from the best, HogHappnin in Shelby. Joyce and Jerry have been doing their event for 21 years.  We were supposed to be there Friday and Saturday, but we arrived on Thursday. Keep in mind the annual event is normally held at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds. The competitors had to relocate to the Shelby City Park due to unforseen circumstances.

Loyal competitors didn't mind moving from the Fairgrounds to the City Park, they've been coming from years. This is one big ass smoker.

We noticed that the transition from the Fairgrounds to the City Park was done in two weeks. Joyce and Jerry were on top their game and pulled it off just perfectly.  The competitors didn't mind making the move, and aside from having less electric than normal, they came out to help support this barbeque event. Each year Joyce and Jerry raise money for the local Children's Homes.  It is amazing.

This is the Allston Bridges Pork BBQ sandwich. It is covered in "red slaw."

But what do do on Thursday?  Not much. So we went to Alston Bridges Barbecue.  This looked small from the outside but there's plenty of seating. Done in old-timey down home country feel the prices are super reasonable. Maybe I just have a big appetite but I found the sandwiches are smaller than the Barbecue around my parts. After I ate my first sandwich, which was covered in red slaw (a sweet concoction of only North Carolinian's knows what -- that's completely brand spankin' new to me being a Yankee).....I realized I had to then eat another helping. I ordered a full platter that comes with their homemade hush puppies. 

Excuse me, I'm trying to eat.

Now they ask you if you want it chopped or pulled , and it doesn't really matter what you get because the pork barbecue is to die for. I'm not a fan of the red slaw by itself, but when you mix it with the pork it's tasty as anything. I assume the slaw must include some type of tomato or ketchup base, some vinegar, finely chopped cabbage and maybe what's in that little cup.  What you see there is their top secret au' jus which has a thin consistency but is so darn tasty.  I then found myself still hungry and wanting  to try the brisket.  I know, I'm a hog.

Brisket sandwich, much like the pork was slathered in red slaw.

Now I can't complain about the brisket. It melted in your mouth and tasted good with the slaw, but to me didn't leave me wanting seconds. Maybe because I had already eaten three servings of food for lunch?   I'm not saying you shouldn't try it, but the pork wins hands down. If you have the choice, go with the pork. I  have to say the pork was one of the best in North Carolina I've ever tasted.  So I really need to tell you if you are in Shelby, or in North Carolina hunting around for good barbecue, start here.

No excuses folks.

Food Photography 
 Hey, I get asked all the time if my photos are my own and they are. I get crazy with my camera or make the wife snap when she can, with her HTC smartphone believe it or not.  If you are looking for good Food Photography check out this site Photo-Flare.  In the meantime, stay tuned for more of my road trip adventures, news on the HogHappnin' and great places to eat in North Carolina. Oh, if you missed my Part One here it is,  Grand Champion Winner Two Old Men and a Grill 

What's Cooking in Winchester, Virginia #winchester #festival #pork #kcbs

If you are central to Baltimore, Frederick, Hagerstown, Harpers Ferry West Virgina, or Frederick County Virginia check this out and help us spread the word!

The 1st annual Hogging Up KCBS Festival in Winchester, VA to be held June 28-30th in Winchester at the Frederick County Fairgrounds! Finally, the competitor's applications are up, 9 months in advance-we already have $5000.00 in cash prizes for the winners in top five places plus overalls.  This festival is very important to us as we are donating a portion of all proceeds to CancerCare.

In the upcoming months we will be finalizing bands, wineries, and cool vendors.  We are now accepting local business sponsorships!

I have one of these! Read the reviews here.

The KitchenAid Professional 600  whether you are an ordinary cooking enthusiast or a professional chef, one of the most important things that you should have in your kitchen is the KitchenAid Professional 600. This amazing kitchen tool helps you cook sumptuous meals for you and your family !