Cooking teams, some from the Greenwood area and others from across the state, will begin setting up their rigs along Front Street overlooking the Yazoo River on Friday.
The teams will be preparing for Main Street Greenwood’s annual festival and barbecue competition, ’Que on the Yazoo.
Brantley Snipes, executive director of the nonprofit organization, said the event celebrates the city’s unique culinary heritage — home of Viking Range, its affiliated cooking school and Delta eateries.
“Teams love coming here,” said Snipes. “They love the hospitality and being downtown by the river. ... Each year, it is growing and building and bolstering Greenwood’s reputation as a culinary destination.”
The two-day event will kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday with a live performance by Mississippi Marshall. Friday’s festivities will also include other musical acts and non-pork culinary competitions, such as sauce and beans, cocktail, catfish, steak, appetizers and chicken.
The steak competition, sanctioned by the Steak Cookoff Association, is open to anyone, not just cooking teams. Competitors can bring a grill and cook a steak, which will be provided. Entry into the contest is $100, and the chef of the winning steak will win $1,000.
Two new categories have been added to Friday’s slate of non-pork contests — wild game and a kids burger competition.
“We’re trying to get a broad spectrum of culinary categories,” said Snipes.
The wild game category includes “anything you can shoot in the Delta,” she said.
“We’re trying to make this a Delta-centric event with Delta cuisine, and so many people here have great game recipes.”
The addition of the kids burger contest, which is another Steak Cookoff Association event, will allow the younger ’Que attendees to get involved and show off their cooking skills. Parents of the children who want to compete should bring a grill. There’s a small entry fee, and burger patties will be provided.
“Kids can get really creative cooking on the grill and decorating their burgers however they want,” said Snipes.
As with the steak competition, the kids burger contest will be judged by trained Steak Cookoff Association judges.
The main event — the Memphis Barbecue Network-sanctioned contest — will be held on Saturday.
For the first time, ’Que on the Yazoo will hold an MBN professional division competition, featuring the network’s most advanced cooking teams. It will also have a patio division contest.
Main Street also has added two more categories to the pork competitions — whole hog and brisket. Other categories include pork loin, pulled pork and pork ribs.
Snipes said she is expecting about 30 teams to compete.
’Que on the Yazoo also features MBN-trained judges, a mix of local and statewide barbecue connoisseurs.
Along with the sanctioned contest, there will be a “People’s Choice” competition. Anyone can purchase a $5 wristband for all-you-can eat and vote for his or her favorite.
Saturday’s events also include all-day children’s activities, presented by ArtPlace Mississippi, at the corner of Howard and Washington streets.
Other attractions include inflatables, Little Obie the Train, community art projects and food vendors. A new event this year will be a kids hog-calling contest. Prizes will be awarded to the top hog callers.
“We want this event to be unique to Greenwood,” said Snipes. “There are a million small- town festivals, but we want to make this one showcase Greenwood.”
Cooking teams should register for the MBN competition by 5 p.m. Monday. For other competitions, registration should be turned in to Main Street Greenwood by 5 p.m. Thursday.
For more information about ’Que on the Yazoo or for registration forms, visit www.queontheyazoo.com.
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7233 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
