Holy Smokes Barbecue Festival

It’s not just a dish, it’s a lifestyle.

Barbecue is serious business in the South.  Reputations are on the line.  Competition is fierce.  People have strong opinions.  And at the end of the day, folks eat well.

Here’s a brand new festival that looks to be an especially delicious one, with a ton of barbecue muscle and clout.

2021 marked the inaugural Holy Smokes Barbecue Festival at The Bend, with its cool motto:  “FINE MEATS & NICE FOLKS.”  It was back again in 2022, this time at a bigger and better venue  -  Riverfront Park in North Charleston.  And it's been back ever since, bigger than ever with over 50 pitmasters   -  for all-you-can-eat barbecue of all kinds.  2026 is its 6th year.  Exact date and details haven't been announced yet, so stay tuned.

The goodness began with the organizers  -  Home Team BBQ’s Taylor Garrigan and Aaron Siegel, Swig & Swine’s Anthony DiBernardo, and Southern Living’s Contributing BBQ Editor Robert Moss.

General admission tickets give you access to four different barbecue villages (up from three last year), with all you can eat benefits.  So come hungry.  The villages will feature BBQ in different styles  -  Texas, Traditional, New School and "Coastal featuring seafood.  VIP tickets also give all-inclusive access to bars with wine, beer and liquor.

Entertainment includes live music by Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country and Lilly Hiatt.

Proceeds go to a great cause  -  Hogs for the Cause and MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, to help in the fight against pediatric brain cancer.  Last year's event raised over $100,000 in each of the last two years, plus another big chunk for Charleston's Ronald McDonald House.

This year's Pitmaster Lineup was truly a thing of beauty:

• 2025 CULINARY LINEUP

  TRADITIONAL

  Bessinger's BBQ | Michael Bessinger, Charleston, S.C.

  Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q | Chris, Jacob and Andrew Lilly, Decatur, Ala.

  Bobby’s BBQ | Tay Nelson, Fountain Inn, S.C.

  Fork Grove Barbecue | Dylan Cooke, Anderson, S.C.

  Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint | Pat Martin, Nashville, Tenn.

  Peg Leg Porker | Carey Bringle, Nashville, Tenn.

  Rodney Scott's BBQ | Rodney Scott, Charleston, S.C.

  Sam Jones BBQ | Sam Jones and Michael Letchworth, Winterville and Raleigh, N.C.

  Swig & Swine | Anthony DiBernardo, Charleston, S.C.

• TEXAS

  Evie Mae's Pit Barbecue | Arnis and Mallory Robbins, Wolfforth, Texas, and Miramar Beach, Fla.

  Feges BBQ | Patrick Feges and Erin Smith, Houston, Texas

  Green Street Smoked Meats | Dave Bonner, Chicago, Ill.

  Hoodoo Brown Barbeque | Cody Sperry, Ridgefield, Conn.

  Moo's Craft Barbecue | Andrew and Michelle Muñoz, Los Angeles, Calif.

  Truth BBQ | Leonard Botello IV, Houston, Texas

  Wright’s Barbecue | Jordan Wright, Fayetteville, Ark.

  ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque | Chris Fultz, Richmond, Va.

  NEW SCHOOL

  Fox Bros Bar-B-Q | Jonathan and Justin Fox, Atlanta, Ga.

  Holy City Hogs | Tank Jackson, Charleston, S.C.

  Home Team BBQ | Aaron Siegel, Taylor Garrigan and Jonathan Banta, Charleston, S.C.

  Mama Jean's Barbecue | Madison Ruckel, Roanoke, Va.

  Pig Beach BBQ | Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride, Queens, N.Y.

COASTAL

Blue Oak BBQ | Ronnie Evans and Philip Moseley, New Orleans, La.

City Limits Barbeque | Robbie Robinson, West Columbia, S.C.

DAS BBQ | Stephen Franklin, Atlanta, Ga.

Elliott’s BBQ Lounge | Elliott Moss, Florence, S.C.

Southern Smoke BBQ | Matt Register, Garland, N.C.

Southern Soul Barbeque | Harrison Sapp and Griffin Bufkin, St. Simons Island, Ga.

Three Forks BBQ and Catering | Capt. Jamie Hough, Charleston, S.C.

Ubon's Barbeque | Leslie Roark Scott, Yazoo City, Miss.

VIP

17th Street Barbecue | Amy Mills, Murphysboro, Ill.

Chez Nous | Jill Mathias, Charleston, S.C.

Chubby Fish | James London, Charleston, S.C.

FIG & The Ordinary | Mike Lata, Charleston, S.C.

Fugazzi, Porchetta Shop, Le Farfalle & da Toscano | Michael Toscano, Charleston, S.C., and New York, N.Y.

King BBQ | Shuai and Corrie Wang, North Charleston, S.C.

Lola Rose & The Grocery | Kevin Johnson, Charleston, S.C.

PITMASTER VILLAGE EXPERIENCES

Hog & Hominy | Michael Hudman and Andy Ticer, Memphis, Tenn.

Helen | Rob McDaniel, Birmingham, Ala.

Pêche & Cochon | Ryan Prewitt and Stephen Stryjewski, New Orleans, La.

Check out the website for more info and to purchase tickets.