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Memphis
in May World Championship
Barbecue
Cooking Contest Heats Up Tom Lee Park May 14-16
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246 teams from
26 states and seven countries will compete to
be crowned world
champion. Over $110,000 in prize money will be won in the
Memphis in May
World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
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Memphis,
TN – April 2015 / Newsmaker Alert / America’s most prestigious
barbecue cooking competition, The
Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, is scheduled
for May 14-16, 2015 in Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee.
Over 246 teams from 26 states
and seven different countries will compete for the exclusive honor to be
named Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest Grand
Champion. Barbecue teams will compete for over $110,000 in prizes with
the Grand Champion taking home more than $14,500.
“Not only does our event
have a national appeal, but we have competitors and visitors from around
the world who come to our great city to experience one of the main things
Memphis is known for – barbecue,” said Jim Holt, President & CEO of
Memphis
in May. “All eyes in the barbecue circuit will be on Memphis this week.
After all, this is the mother lode of all barbecue competitions.”
The Memphis in May World
Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest incorporates the Memphis in May International
Festival honored country of Poland by inviting a polish chef and barbecue
cooking team to participate in the contest and offering a prize category
for barbecue teams for the Best Booth that incorporates Poland into the
booth design. Many of the barbecue team booths are very elaborate two-story
structures allowing team members plenty of room to celebrate their wins
and providing large over-the-top canvasses for decorations. Winners of
the Best Booth Competition will be announced at the Cattlemen’s Main Stage
on Thursday night at 8 p.m., along with the winner of the ever-popular
Ms. Piggie Idol Contest; a parade of male contestants strutting their stilettos
and snouts for knee-slapping fun.
The barbecue team from the
honored country of Poland is named the Polska Porkers and will be overseen
by Chef, Kazubski Grzegorz. The Polska porkers and Chef Kazubski Grzegorz
have garnered many awards and recognitions in barbecue contests in Europe
as well as the United States.
Teams will compete in a number
of categories including: Whole Hog, Rib, Shoulder, Anything But, Hot Wings,
Beef, Poultry, Seafood, Sauce and an Exotic category. Judging for the ancillary
contests will take place on Friday and winners of the Anything But, Hot
Wings and Sauce categories will be announced on Friday at 6:30 p.m. The
judging for the main categories will take place on Saturday and the weekend
will wrap up with a new Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking
Contest Grand Champion being crowned at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday from the
Cattlemen’s Main Stage.
The Memphis in May World
Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is known to be just as much about
having fun as it is about intense competition and is open to the general
public. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com via this link: bit.ly/MIMBBQTIX2015
or at the main gate and cost $10.
Entertainment on the Cattlemen’s
Main Stage features Blackjack Billy on Thursday night, Drivin’ n Cryin’
on Friday night and Biz Markie on Saturday night and is free with Memphis
in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest admission.
The Cooker Caravan is free
and gives the general public an intimate view of the barbecue contest and
competing teams. The Cooker Caravan behind the scenes tour includes information
on how the world’s best barbecue cooking teams produce prize-winning barbecue,
a chance to see a variety of specialty grills and smokers, and tips on
how to improve backyard grilling. Interested Cooker Caravan participants
should meet between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Thursday, May 14 – Friday,
May, 15 at the Academy Sports Cooker Caravan tent located in the middle
of the park near the main judges tent to sign up for a time slot. The Cooker
Caravan departs every 30 minutes.
Kingsford Tour of Champions:
www.memphisinmay.org/kingsford-tour-of-champions
Now anyone can be a judge
of world championship barbecue with the Kingsford Tour of Champions. Kingsford
Tour of Champions judging takes place on the Thursday and Friday of the
contest, with sessions from 2-4 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. on both days. Anyone
wanting to participate in the Kingsford Tour of Champions and judge world
championship barbecue for themselves must purchase a $12 ticket available
online at the Memphis in May web site here: www.memphisinmay.org/products/2015-kingsford-tour.
The Kingsford Tour of Champions
price does not include admission to the World Championship Barbecue Contest.
Purchase general
admission tickets here. Registered participants pick up their judging
packet at the Kingsford Tour of Champions Judges check-in at Tom Lee Park
(located outside of the Judges Tent).
About Memphis in May International
Festival
In 2015 the Memphis in May
International Festival is saluting Poland as the honored country in its
39th annual month-long celebration. In addition to hosting the city’s largest
events like the Beale Street Music Festival, the World Championship Barbecue
Cooking Contest, and the AutoZone Sunset Symphony, Memphis in May also
produces extensive educational, international, and economic programs for
the city. Memphis in May International Festival is the official festival
of the City of Memphis.
Memphis in May International
Festival is a not for profit, community-based organization that contributes
over $70 million in economic impact to the community, fosters civic pride,
promotes awareness of Memphis heritage, and builds international relationships
and understanding through education. For additional information about the
Memphis in May International Festival, please visit the official Memphis
in May web site at www.memphisinmay.org.
Media Contact:
Patrick Collins
Morris Marketing Group
901-219-9944 |