The sights, sounds and smells of barbecue will take over Fluor Field at the West End once again when the Project Host BBQ Cook-Off & Festival returns on Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26.
The annual two-day festival brings together some of the Upstate’s best barbecue, live entertainment and family-friendly activities, all while supporting Project Host and its mission of using food to nourish the hungry and provide training opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed in the Greenville community.
Festivities begin Friday from 6:00-10:00 PM with the popular Anything Butt Contest, where participating cooking teams step outside traditional barbecue and prepare appetizers, side dishes, desserts and other creative dishes. Guests will have an opportunity to meet the cook teams, sample food and enjoy the festival atmosphere as competitors begin preparing for Saturday’s main event.
The competition heats up Saturday from 11:00 AM-2:00 PM, when teams serve up their best barbecue for festival guests and judges as part of the pork-butt competition held in conjunction with the South Carolina Barbeque Association. The weekend culminates with an awards ceremony scheduled for 1:30 PM Saturday.
In addition to plenty of barbecue, the festival will feature live music and a Kids Zone with a playground, bounce house and inflatable activities. Project Host’s HostMobile food truck will also be on site offering additional food and snacks.
Admission to the festival is free both days. Festival tickets will be available for $2 each at the gate and can be used for barbecue samples, beverages and select activities. Two festival tickets can be exchanged for one barbecue sample or a water or soda.
More importantly, every bite helps support an organization that has been serving Greenville for more than four decades. Founded in 1981, Project Host works to combat food insecurity and create pathways to employment through programs including its Soup Kitchen, Cooking for Kids, the CC Pearce Culinary School and social enterprises such as the HostMobile food truck and Bakery. The BBQ Cook-Off & Festival serves as one of Project Host’s signature annual fundraisers, bringing the community together around food while generating support for those programs.
Free parking will be available in the Greenville Senior High School parking lot across from District 356, beginning at 6:00 PM Friday. Parking access concludes promptly at 2:00 PM Saturday.
Make plans to join Project Host at Fluor Field September 25-26 for two days of great barbecue, great entertainment and an opportunity to support an organization making a difference throughout Greenville.
For the complete festival schedule, entertainment information, parking details and additional event information, visit ProjectHostBBQ.org.