Grilling and barbecuing are among America’s leading culinary pastimes, and Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Regional Park is where barbecuing maestros from far and near will converge to compete for one of the world’s richest purses on Sept. 14-15.
With $15,000 at stake, visitors to the 12th annual Smoke on the Water BBQ & Music Festival are guaranteed delighted taste buds and full stomachs. With the world’s greatest barbecue wizards putting their all into being the best of the best, there will be no shortage of top quality barbecue on tap.
Sponsored by the Pine Bluff Convention and Visitors Bureau, Budweiser, Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel, Pine Bluff Parks and Recreation, Tyson, Simmons First National Bank and Cates & Company Creative, the barbecue and music festival is more than just a treat to your tongue. It’s also ground zero for entertainment galore.
On the morning of Sept. 14, the state’s biggest radio hit, 103.7 The BUZZ’s Show with No Name with Tommy Smith and David Bazzel, will be broadcasting live at Saracen Landing.
Besides world champion barbecue vendors dishing out their special recipes, the Area IX Special Olympic Team will be selling Tyson BBQ chicken dinners for only $5 all weekend with all proceeds benefiting Special Olympics.
There is also a solid line-up of musical entertainment set. Kicking off the event Sept. 14 will be the Prison Band followed by the Southern stylings edgy country from Riverbilly. Country star Ben Coulter and Tragikly White, Arkansas’ favorite dance band, will bring their high energy shows to the stage Sept. 15.
There will also be a Kids Funzone with inflatable slides and bounce houses, laser tag, Sumo wrestling, Blue Knights Motorcycle Rally, VFW $1,000 jackpot bingo with $500 coverall, 24-foot rock-climbing wall and grilling demonstrations.
For all the Razorback fans, the game against Alabama will be shown on a giant screen in the Budweiser outdoor sports bar.
“Barbecue is big business now,” according to Ron Cates, president and chief executive officer of Smoke on the Water Productions. “It used to be a handful of contests giving away ribbons and a little bit of prize money. We came in and created events for the true professional to compete against the world’s top teams and increased prize money ten fold. Winning one of our events, especially the prestigious USA BBQ Championship in Las Vegas, now guarantees endorsement opportunities and the notoriety that goes with being the world’s best.”
From humble beginnings with a $5,000 purse, to the richest contest in the world today, Smoke on the Water currently offers over $400,000 in prize money with events in Las Vegas, Laughlin, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri and a NASCAR King of the Pit Championship Series at Daytona, Michigan and Talladega.
“This March we partnered with the Academy of Country Music Awards as part of the ACM Experience during their annual awards show at the Mandalay Bay Casino & Resort,” said Cates. “Our brand just continues to grow and has earned the reputation as the nation’s premier promoter of world class barbecue competitions.”
Admission to the weekend festival is free. For more information visit www.smokeonthewaterbbq.com.
Schedule of Events:
Sept. 14
• Tyson chicken dinners sold from noon to 6 p.m.
• Welcome party from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• Gates open at 5 p.m.
• Prison Band from 5 to 7 p.m.
• VFW $1,000 Jackpot Bingo from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Riverbilly from 7 to 10 p.m.
Sept. 15 – Gates open at noon
• Tyson chicken dinners sold from noon to 5 p.m.
• Ben Coulter Band from 1 to 4 p.m.
• Special Olympics Ribba Ramma rib dinners from 1 to 3 p.m.
• Arkansas vs Alabama in Sports Bar from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• Awards Ceremony at 5 p.m.
• DJ from 5:30 to 6:30 pm
• VFW $1,000 Jackpot Bingo from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Tragikly White from 7 to 10 p.m.
