SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — As part of national barbecue month, Sevierville is hosting a crowd-favorite event featuring award-winning barbecue and toe-tapping tunes.
The Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival is back for its 19th year on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20 in downtown Sevierville. The event is free, and visitors can expect to experience a fun time for the whole family.
There will be a championship barbecue competition with 32 select cook teams from across the U.S. Each team is competing for the Tennessee State Championship title. The Kansas City BBQ Society is judging each pit master's skills.
"We've also got three of those cookers who are vending their barbecue, so you really can purchase some championship barbecue to enjoy," said Amanda Marr with the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. "This is Sevierville's largest event."
Not only will the professionals be there to fill the air with the delicious smell of smoked meat, but there will also be a variety of demonstrations from different businesses and vendors.
Smoky Mountain School of Cooking will be teaching old Appalachian recipes throughout the event. Swaggerty's will be there cooking and serving all their sausage while teaching people how to get ready for the summer season.
Another big part of the festival is the other half of the name: music. There are three stages filled with a wide array of melodies and tunes. While there is a long list of performers and acts lined up for the weekend of fun, there are some notable names.
Yonder Mountain String Band will headline the Swaggerty’s Farm Main Stage on Friday, May 19, starting at 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday, country legends Sawyer Brown take the stage at 8:30 p.m.
There will be many games, activities and vendors set up at the festival as well, so the whole family can get in on the fun. Make sure to bring a lawn chair, listening ears and an empty stomach to the event so you can fully enjoy all it has to offer.
You can find more information on the event, where to park and what's happening when on BloominBBQ.com.