MIM barbecue contest off to a saucy start
The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest kicked off with the parade of champions followed by the event’s traditional sauce wrestling.
Topic: Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
RSSThere are 83 article(s) tagged Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest:
-
May 2026
-
-
The AM/DM podcast: Barbecue, chicken and beer
This week is one that’s been special to Memphians for 48 years now.
-
Table Talk: It’s homecoming at Memphis in May
It’s the 48th year for the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, and it’s a homecoming of sorts for some of the teams that participated in rival barbecue festival SmokeSlam for the past two years.
-
Pitmasters, start your smokers! Memphis in May’s barbecue contest is back this week.
The 200-plus teams in MIM’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest will compete for a share of $200,000 — as well as bragging rights. Here’s all you need to know.
-
The AM/DM podcast: A week of barbecue, budgets and bikes
The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest returns this week as the only barbecue fest in town.
-
MIM’s barbecue cooking contest just got more fiery
For the first time at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, pitmasters this year will cook on an open-flame in a live-fire competition.
-
-
April 2026
-
‘Cupid Shuffle’ singer, Cedric Burnside to perform at Memphis in May barbecue contest
As more than 200 pitmasters from 27 states and seven different countries go toe to toe during the barbecue competition, the “Line Dancing King” and a Grammy Award-winning local blues artist are among the entertainment.
-
-
January 2026
-
Not so fast, barbecue fans. Amid uncertainty over combined BBQ fest, community reacts
The announcement that the SmokeSlam BBQ Festival and MIM’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest would likely participate in a shared 2027 event was met with happiness, suspicion, disbelief and — from many MIM board members — confusion.
Related content:
-
-
May 2025
-
Right on ’cue: Barbecue winners take home trophies, cash
Grand prize winners, along with a slew of other awards, were announced of SmokeSlam at Tom Lee Park, and the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Liberty Park.
-
Both barbecue festivals are back on
With sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s, both the Memphis in May and SmokeSlam barbecue festivals are back to their regular schedules Saturday, officials said.
-
SmokeSlam, Memphis in May BBQ festivals closing early
SmokeSlam at Tom Lee Park Downtown and the Memphis In May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Liberty Park are both closing early Friday, May 16, due to the weather forecast.
-
SmokeSlam’s back on the river, bigger and smokier
The second installment of SmokeSlam began Thursday as thousands poured into Downtown’s Tom Lee Park while the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest continued at Liberty Park in Midtown.
-
Memphis in May barbecue contest starts smoking
The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest got underway Wednesday afternoon, and for many teams, it begins with the wood.
-
-
January 2025
-
Raising the steaks: Memphis in May barbecue contest adds beef competition
The one-day addition to the MIM barbecue contest at Liberty Park is tied in with the Fort Worth, Texas based Steak Cookout Association.
-
-
May 2024
-
Sound Bites: Smoke clears after barbecue battles, big chicken news
This week on Sound Bites, Chris Herrington and Holly Whitfield follow up with the Jerry’s Sno Cones rumors discussed last week and share impressions from last week’s dueling barbecue contests.
-
Guest Column: Richard Smith offers a ‘thought starter’ on competing BBQ festivals
“BBQ Fest is a weekend I always look forward to, and last weekend didn’t disappoint. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t say something felt off. Or perhaps it felt like something was missing. And, no, it wasn’t just the river views.”
-
Memphis in May or SmokeSlam? For two teams, the answer is both
You can find only two teams competing at both barbecue contests this weekend: Hank’s BBQ from Columbus, Mississippi, and Pork University of Clarksville, Tennessee.
-
Battle of the Barbecue: Contest recaps, $50K ribs and recipes
In the final installment of our barbecue series, we’ve got a look at winners from SmokeSlam and Memphis in May’s contest. Plus, we share recipes to extend barbecue month out all year.
-
Memphis in May names barbecue contest winners
“We’re on top of the world,” Brooke Lewis said to a crowd of hundreds a few moments before fireworks erupted over the stage in Liberty Park.
-
Battle of the Barbecue draws to a close
After a week of two simultaneous barbecue-cooking competitions, the victor is clear: hungry barbecue lovers and fans across the city of Memphis.
-
Memphis in May announces 2025 barbecue contest dates, location
“Memphis in May is here to stay,” new President and CEO Mack Weaver told the crowd Saturday at Liberty Park.
-
New Zealand’s BBQ War is bringing the heat — and the ink
BBQ War is the team that traveled the farthest for this year’s MIM, and despite the team’s name, they’re making new friends left and right. But what they really want are the bragging rights.
-
Battle of the Barbecue: Where to eat Memphis barbecue
While teams at the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and SmokeSlam are setting up for their respective competitions, here’s a broad look at the Memphis barbecue scene.
-
At MIM, BBQ Alley is ‘for the people,’ pitmaster says
BBQ Alley is perfect for those World Champsionship Barbecue Cooking Contest attendees who aren’t part of, or friends with anyone on, a competition team.
Related story:
-
Memphis in May BBQ fest kicks off with sauce wrestling and fiery competition
The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is officially underway, with 129 teams from 22 states and four foreign countries vying for the crown.
Related stories:
-