I've been hearing rumblings about this for a few weeks ago, but now the cat is completely out of the bag for an amazing barbecue festival coming to South Carolina.
Aaron Siegel and Taylor Garrigan of Home Team BBQ, Anthony DiBernardo of Swig & Swine, and Robert Moss, the Contributing BBQ Editor for Southern Living, have invited leaders of the barbecue community from around the country to come together in Charleston on November 13th, 2021 for the inaugural Holy Smokes Lowcountry Barbecue Festival. It will be held at The Bend, a great outdoor venue along the Ashley River in North Charleston.
Tickets go on sale in late August, but I highly recommend getting on the email list for tickets HERE so you won't miss out. This will sell out quickly.
Here is the super impressive list of pitmasters:
- Michael Bessinger, Bessinger’s BBQ - Charleston, South Carolina
- Chris Lilly, Big Bob Gibson BBQ - Decatur, Alabama
- Ronnie Evans & Philip Moseley, Blue Oak BBQ - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Elliott Moss & Meherwan Irani, Buxton Hall - Asheville, North Carolina
- Patrick Feges & Erin Smith - Feges BBQ - Houston, Texas
- Jonathan & Justin Fox - Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q - Atlanta, Georgia
- Tank Jackson, Holy City Hogs - Charleston, South Carolina
- Aaron Siegel & Taylor Garrigan, Home Team BBQ - Charleston, South Carolina
- Billy Durney, Hometown BBQ - New York, New York
- Cody Sperry, HooDoo Brown BBQ- Ridgefield, Connecticut
- Evan Leroy, Leroy and Lewis BBQ - Austin, Texas
- John Lewis, Lewis Barbecue - Charleston, South Carolina
- Madison Ruckel, Mama Jean’s Barbecue - Roanoke, Virginia
- Pat Martin, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint - Nashville, Tennessee
- Carey Bringle, Peg Leg Porker - Nashville, Tennessee
- Rodney Scott, Rodney Scott’s BBQ - Charleston, South Carolina
- Sam Jones, Sam Jones BBQ - Winterville, North Carolina
- Harrison Sapp, Southern Soul Barbeque - St. Simons, Georgia
- Anthony DiBernardo, Swig & Swine BBQ - Charleston, South Carolina
- Leo Botello, Truth BBQ - Houston, Texas
- Matt Horn - Horn Barbecue - Oakland, California
That's two dozen pitmasters from ten different states, all converging on the banks of the Ashley River just a few miles from where it joins the Cooper River to form the Atlantic Ocean.
Here's the scoop: A general admission ticket will buy you all-you-can-eat access to three "barbecue villages". In the first, pitmasters like Sam Jones and Rodney Scott will be preparing different versions of traditional wood-cooked whole hog barbecue. In the next, pitmasters like Leo Botello of Truth BBQ, and John Lewis of Lewis BBQ will be smoking up an array of beef ribs, brisket, and other Texas-style specialties. The third village will feature new school barbecue, with cooks like Southern Soul's Harrison Sapp and Jonathan and Justin Fox of Fox Bros. getting creative as they incorporate slow-smoked meats into all sorts of innovative dishes.
There will also be live bands playing throughout the day and plenty of beer and wine for purchase. A limited number of VIP tickets will include drinks as well as access to a special VIP area with a private bar and snacks from noted Southern chefs.
