So, you are ready to take your skills you have gained by the hours spent hovering over your built in BBQ to the next level, the BBQ festival and competition circuit.  This is a great step to choose to make, for not only will you get your own signature dishes out to the masses, you will encounter other BBQ chefs, and you may learn new recipes, new ways of spicing up your own creations.  One of the best of the best is the Lexington BBQ Festival in North Carolina.  The festival is a community event that has grown in popularity exponentially over the years, becoming the city’s most attended celebrations.  And so it should be, because BBQ is good, BBQ fills up not only your belly, but all of your senses.

From the sights, to the scents, to the sounds of the chefs preparing the meals, to the taste and to the feel of licking your fingers to get every last bit of flavor this is one fine way to spend the day.  Each year at the end of October, BBQ chefs from around the country show up and deliver.  This past year marked the 26th anniversary of the festival, and now October is the official “Month of the Barbecue”.  BBQ is a big deal.  Throughout the month there are various events, some not even related to cooking and eating, such as the biking event, “Tour de Pig”.  All the proceeds from this event are given to the Mental Health Association in the city.  There are also events such as the 5K Hawg Run, and golf and tennis tournaments.

When this festival began in 1984, just about thirty thousand people attended, and by 1994 that number had grown to over one hundred thousand.  Now, not only is it a food oriented event, but a musical and artistic celebration as well which draws people not only from the state of North Carolina, but from all of the states in the country.  So many non-profit and community services have gained the benefits of this festival, as it is one festival that just keeps on giving, from the days of the festival and those beyond.  So refine your backyard skills, and head out next year to the festival in North Carolina.  You will be amazed, you will have fun, you will never forget it.