Tag Archive: Virginia

  1. Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest Woodstock, VA

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    By Mark Gibbs, Pitmaster of Checkered Flag 500 BBQ

    Autumnfest is in the books for 2017!  This contest, which is a staple in the MABA schedule kicked it up another notch this year with the addition of harness racing for the weekend.  The team in Woodstock, VA also added in some serious craft beer and craft whiskey tastings to the vending line up this year.  The weather was perfect and it was a great weekend for BBQ!

    Thirty teams came together to compete for a nice prize fund and bragging rights.  Past Autumnfest champion Jay Reeder of 4:20Q brought home top honors in Chicken.  2016 Champion, 3Eyz BBQ with Dan Hixon came across the finish line with a top call in Ribs.  Aporkalypse Now took home top Pork honors and Smack That Butt BBQ won the brisket category.

    Rockin’ Robyn’s BBQ took home the GC this year with 3Eyz BBQ doing a great job defending their title from last year with the RGC.  Pig Pen BBQ earned top honors in the People’s Choice competition for the millionth time at Autumnfest!  Once again they showed some great sportsmanship by donating the proceeds from their win back to the community to feed folks on Thanksgiving!  These guys help make BBQ great for sure.

    We are all looking forward to the 2018 installment of this great competition!

    Full KCBS results here.

  2. BBQ Gives Back Urbanna, VA

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    Submitted by…The Masked BBQ Writer

     

     

    The first BBQ Gives Back challenge was held in Urbanna, Virginia.  Bill and Mary Jones and their team put together a really nice first year event at the Bethpage Camping Resort.  Each team had a full site with hookups abound.  The weekend weather was exceptional for March, and 64 teams were signed up for what is probably the earliest MABA contest ever held.   The contest made a nice donation to Operation BBQ Relief and packed up food and canned goods for a local food bank as well.  Nice job BBQ Gives Back!

    BBQ Gives Back was unique in that it was a standard KCBS contest with two other contests within the main contest.  Confused?  Yeah, so were some competitors, but Bill and the team were able to sort out everything and keep the contest flowing nicely.  The two “sub” contests were the MABA State Cup Champions Cookoff (Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association) and the Virginia Grands Championship.  The MABA State Cup winners competed against each other using their position in the overall standings and Forest Hill, Maryland’s Rockin’ Robyn’s BBQ came out on top of a tough group of State Cup winners!  In the Virginia Grands contest, Wolf’s Revenge BBQ took home top honors.

    On the KCBS side of the field Old Virginia Smoke won the Chicken category.  Richmond’s own Wolf’s Revenge with Chiles Cridlin took home the big trophy in Ribs.  K&D Smokers with Kevin and Debbie Gary out of Winston Salem, NC took home top honors in Pork while Chris and Joan Clegg of Rhode Hog BBQ from where else but Rhode Island took 1st in Brisket.  Nice job to all that were called in each category.

    The Grand Champion on the KCBS side was Wolf’s Revenge BBQ and Reserve Grand went to Brian and Shannon Turner of Muttley Crew BBQ.  Great job in a really stacked field of competitors itching to get their BBQ season started!

    Individual meat winners:

    Chicken – Old Virginia Smoke
    Ribs – Wolf’s Revenge
    Pork – K & D Smokers
    Brisket – Rhode Hog BBQ

    Grand Champion – Wolf’s Revenge
    Reserve – Muttley Crew BBQ

    Full results can be found here.

  3. Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest Woodstock, VA

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    by Brian Walrath, MABA Board Member and Pitmaster for Brown Liquor BBQ

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    Luke and Leigh Anne of Sweet Tea Blues along with Rolfe jam out at the afterparty!

    Autumnfest in Woodstock, Virginia is sort of the unofficial last barbecue competition for many in the Mid-Atlantic region.  Because of this, it’s become a tradition that there’s a gathering of teams for a potluck end of the year soiree to close out the season on Saturday night after awards!  This year would be no different, except that we would dedicate this party to celebrate Jerry and Mary Dyer of JD’s Smokin Misfits’ barbecue career!  What began in the early 80s as a way to relax, ended at Woodstock as Jerry and Mary will turn the team over to their daughter Tracy next year.  Oh, they’ll still be around though.  Jerry assured me we’ll still see his smiling face and probably even have some “Jerry Juice” in tow!

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    Team set up on the track in Woodstock with the mountain in the background!

    Woodstock is pretty well known for having some turbulent weather.  Cold temps and wind are the norm.  But, the barbecue gods threw us a softball this weekend, perhaps showing mercy on us for a year of bad winds, snow, rain, and intense heat!  Temperatures were in the high 60s to mid 70s all weekend with just slightly chilly, but comfortable temps at night.

    Jerry Dyer hosts the good luck MABA shot!
    Jerry Dyer hosts the good luck MABA shot!

    The track at Woodstock, a hot bed for harness horse racing, underwent massive improvements and all the teams were back on the track, but much closer to each other, making it nice to visit and chat with friends throughout the weekend.  About a third of the competitors participated in a well run People’s Choice event and the great weather brought out droves of fair goers who enjoyed the many crafters, wineries, and breweries present.  All in all, a great event, and weekend!

    Ok, now for the all important results!

    First place winners:
    Chicken – Team Meat Coma
    Ribs –Sauce This BBQ
    Pork –Sauce This BBQ
    Brisket –Rockin Robyns BBQ

    Grand Champion – 3 Eyz BBQ
    Reserve Grand Champion – Sauce This BBQ

    Check out the full competition results here.

     

  4. Que & Cruz Louisa, VA

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    by Stephanie West, “The Neck” Pitmaster with 270 SMOKERS

    Thirty-one great teams turned out for Que & Cruz in Louisa, VA.  This event, long a staple on the Virginia competitive BBQ circuit, had taken a hiatus for a few years.  This year it returned en force as a fundraiser for the University of Virginia’s Pediatric Kidney Research.

    This event is organized by three generations of the Small family and held at their campground just east of Charlottesville.  Although the rain kept the crowds away, it didn’t dampen the spirits of the teams (nor of the bands, playing beachside all day Saturday).  Fittingly, Joe Haynes was on hand to sell & sign copies of his new book “Virginia Barbecue: A History”.

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    Competitors gather before awards in Louisa, VA at Que & Cruz!
    GC:  Big Ugly’s BBQ – MD
    RGC:  Old Virginia Smoke

    First Place Winners:
    Chicken:  Big Ugly’s BBQ – MD
    Ribs:  Old Virginia Smoke
    Pork:  270 SMOKERS
    Brisket:  Big Ugly’s

    See full results from Que & Cruz here.