North Carolina State BBQ Championship in Mount Airy, NC

I hung out at the 2010 North Carolina state barbecue championship contest in Mount Airy until about midnight. Pig smoking is an all night affair. I told the barbecue guys to have good smokes and headed back home to do some barbecue writing and to edit photos.

That mobile blogging thing was harder than flipping pigs with the slow load speed up there in the NC mountains. I think I could have walked the 80 or so miles home before photos would have uploaded on site.

Fortunately, I met a Mount Airy local, Fred Parker, and he sent me some barbecue contest photos. So, now you can see a whole hog barbecue contest the morning after.



Wow. Now that's a pretty smoked pig. They definately look tastier in the morning after they are smoked than at night when they are raw pig.



Whole hogs call for big smokers - of course. There were a range of different smokers at the 2010 NC state barbecue championship. Some of them were store bought and others were handmade smokers.



The pitmasters watch those temperatures and check out the meat. There's done and there's ready. It's a talent to get smoked whole hog smoked pork just perfect.




Once the pigs are done, there's a lot of chopping. In North Carolina, barbecue pork is typically chopped (not pulled) and then sauced. When you have top notch pig smokers like at this state championship, the secret and the win can be in the sauce which in vinegar based with various amounts of red (tomato product) depending on whether you are east or west of the North Carolina barbecue divide line.

Plans Complete for Lexington NC Barbecue Festival - 25th Year

Lexington NC Pork Barbecue Festival Sandwich with Red Slaw, Curly Pig Tail French Fries, and a Good Old NC Pepsi



Hot Grilled Corn in the Husks - Lathered With Butter After Smoked



Sitting on the Steps Enjoying the BBQ Festival, Food, and Ready for More Fun Later


The Tin Can Man - Making Airplanes Out of Aluminum Cans

I have been waiting (not so patiently) for all the details on the 25th Lexington NC Barbecue Festival. This is a milestone year, and I'm sure it's going to be extra special. So, I've watched the Barbecue Festival web page to see what all is going on this year. The new information went up this week, and also got an email from Greta who is working on getting the word out about this top rated Barbecue street party.

Lee Ann Womack - Featured Entertainer This Year

The big news this year is that Lee Ann Womack is headlining. She is probably most known for her song "I Hope You Dance" which appealed to a cross section of music fans including pop and her country music fan base.

Other stars playing for 2008 include Adam Gregory, Randy Houser, and Jamie Johnson.

There are always lots of great local groups ranging from jazz to beach music and even performers like a magician.

In addition to the main stage, there are various smaller stages set up and down the street, so it's easy to find some good music or someone telling stories.

I'd also note that Sponge Bob will be making appearances this year which will really excite a lot of the kids.

Great Food All Day and Plenty of It

You can guess the theme of the Barbecue Festival in Lexington. They serve the famous Lexington BBQ which is chopped pork on a bun. The sauce is vinegar based with a little hot pepper and has some zing but not so much that it freaks out those who can't handle hot foods. Just a nice little burst of flavor.

In the South, most people eat barbecue pork with slaw. It's a red slaw. Again, it has more zip than more traditional slaws. It also makes the buns a little soggy, so some people love and some do not. You can ask for it either way - with or without slaw.

There's more food than you can shake a stick at at the Barbecue Festival, so arrive hungry. In addition to the fabulous barbecue, you can get other Southern favorites like grilled corn on the cob, fried pork rinds, and fried apple pies.

Check Out the Booths

North Main Street in Lexington is always lined with double rows of booths. Many of these include arts and crafts. You can find cool things that you'd not find at the mall. One of my favorite booths is the Tin Can Man booth. He makes airplanes and other items like ships out of aluminum cans. He even makes them while you watch. Tell him that writer Cyndi said "hi" if you see him.

I always enjoy some of the sample booths. There are mixes you can buy. They usually have pretzels, and you can try various cheese dip mixes. I stock up every year and have those for the holidays. I also buy new hot sauces, since small vendors have different homemade sauces to sell. They also offer samples usually. Those range from the NC style with a vinegar base to tomato based to mustard (from SC).

Lexington NC Has a Great Barbecue Festival

Some small town festivals are really small town. You only have a few things to see and do. That's not the case in Lexington. It's huge - really. They expect 10,000 this year, and the town has a population of a little over 20,000.

The Barbecue Festival consistantly makes the top ten list for festivals in the southeast and has also been mentioned by USA Today and Travel & Leisure magazine.

Of course, everyone around these parts know it's a great day!

Lexington NC Festival Details

The festival is on Saturday October 25, 2008. The booths open up at 8:30 and the barbecue tents at 10 a.m. I suggest shooting for 9 a.m. or earlier, because it gets really crowded as the day goes along. And, the bus lines get long.

Since the town really is small, it works out better to park and shuttle in. We always park at the Wal-Mart Super Center off I85 (exit 91). They also have parking at Childress Vineyards on US Highway 64 and the Davidson County governmental complex on N. Main Street. The shuttles run every 15 minutes or so, and the drivers are real friendly. Bus tickets are $2 but free for kids under 12.

There's enough to keep you busy all day and lots of food to keep you going. This year, they'll close down from 6 p.m. and set up for the 25th celebration complete with fireworks to cap off the quarter century mark.

It doesn't cost a thing to get into the festival. Free for all.

Where is This Festival?

If you're not familiar with Lexington, NC, then it's 20 miles South of Winston-Salem, NC, 30 miles from Greensboro and 45 miles from Charlotte.