MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Locals call it Barbeque Fest, which happens every second week May.
Its official name, the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is indeed a mouthful, but it says lots about the bonafide culinary contest burning back onto the scene after a year plagued by COVID.
"It'll look somewhat different, right? But the meat on the bones is the competition and the barbeque and that's not changing," said Randy Blevins of Memphis in May.
He says the 2020 championship column shows an asterick because the entire month long slate of events was called off due to COVID from 2017 to 2019 Memphis in May brought $139.0-million in economic impact to the city. This year's competitive field is a bit lighter, chopped down to just more than 100 teams.
"We normally have around 230, 240 but because of COVID we've reduced the number of teams, capacity in the park each day."
With just a week to go before things heat up on the river Tom Lee Park is getting dressed-up for this years contest.
Off the menu this year are the nightly bands, sauce wrestling and miss piggy contests that entertain the teams and their guests, but count on nearly all the usual categories for competitions.
"So there's no Patio Porker division this year so that gave us the extra space for the others to have a little bit more elbow room. I should have said shoulder room. Get it? Shoulder," said Blevins.
With fewer teams, each one will get space about 50 percent larger allowing for social distancing.
Another change this year, no tickets will be sold at the gate so get your before you go.. and get set for a squeal of time.
"All the big names are here. All the fierce competitors that are extremely serious competitors, ya know almost everyone is back again," said Blevins.