Fourth Annual BBQ With Bourbon Moved To June 6

The Bourbon Economic Development Group is planning a few changes to its annual BBQ With Bourbon event.

After two years of pairing it with the Fall Festival and a car show, the fourth edition will be moved up to Saturday, June 6.

BED also has tapped John Craig to help organize the event.

Craig, a former barbeque competitor who placed in events at Kansas City and Memphis, will add chicken and pork ribs to the usual pork steak cook-off.

He said competitors can enter all three categories and be eligible for the grand champion and reserve champion trophies.

“John will be our chief advisor,” said Chuck Ray, BED member. “He’ll be using his expertise to help us.”

Ray said the decision was made to separate the cook-off from the car show since the car show was overcrowding Festival Park.

The car show will continue on at the Fall Festival since it has become such a big draw for the second day of the event.

In the past three years, the competitors have been individuals, but Ray wants to encourage all businesses in Bourbon to join in, similar to the chili cook-off that is led now by the Warhawks Athletic Boosters.

“We want this to be a big draw for the community,” Ray said.

BED will be looking for musical acts to perform on the stage built at Festival Park and Paul Dunn, who runs the Luthiery Shop, will be tasked with helping.

Ray also said they are looking to add events for children and need volunteers.

BED will hold a planning meeting for BBQ With Bourbon on Thursday, February 27.