Page 22 2013 Art & Balloon Festival, August 30, 2013
Special edition of LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com
‘Up in Smoke’ brings ‘Backyard BBQ’
to downtown Lincoln
DOWNTOWN
Do you enjoy grilling and barbecuing? Do you think
you have what it takes to compete with your neighbors
and win? If so, you have the opportunity to show your
cooking prowess in the “Lincoln Backyard BBQ”
competition this weekend.
The Backyard BBQ is a special side event being
held for the first time this year. It is for the novice
barbecuer and will take place downtown during
Lincoln’s third annual “Up in Smoke on the Square,”
a Kansas City Barbeque Society nationally sanctioned
event that is part of the Lincoln Art &
Balloon Festival.
According to Shane Alley, who is
overseeing the new competition with
Josh Merreighn, the idea came up
during an Up in Smoke committee
meeting. The committee wanted to do
something new, something that would
open the door to local participation in
the barbecue competition.
Alley said the idea gelled, and they began working
toward making it a reality about four months ago.
He noted that the event will be sponsored by Royal
Oak, which has been a supporter of the KCBS-
sanctioned event in Lincoln for the past three years.
They asked Royal Oak to be a part of the new event,
and the company was happy to do so.
Alley said the competition will take place on Saturday
in the 200 block of South Kickapoo. There are
currently 20 spaces available for cooks, and 10 have
signed up to participate. Alley said he is hopeful that
the other 10 spaces will fill up by the day of the event.
The Backyard BBQ will serve as an introduction to
the bigger sanctioned event and give local folks a taste
of what it would be like to compete with the big boys.
In addition, the grand prize winner will be given that
opportunity. Alley said the grand prize winner in this
year’s competition will have their entry fee into next
year’s Up in Smoke waived, so they will be able to go
head-on with nationally known cooks.
For the most part, the contest will follow the same
rules as the KCBS event, with just a couple of
exceptions.
In KCBS, gas grills are not allowed in
competition, but for the new event, they
will be allowed.
In addition, each contestant in the KCBS
competition is required to serve up four
meats. The new competition will require
only two: pork ribs and chicken.
The Backyard BBQ will be a “bring your
own everything” event. Electricity and
water will be available nearby but not provided to the
individual cooking spaces. Competitors will need to
bring buckets or a hose for cleanup and sanitation.
Meat will be inspected upon arrival. It must be iced
and raw, not marinated, injected or pre-rubbed.
Teams should plan to bring a small grill or smoker
of some kind, a pop-up tent, maybe a small table to
work on, utensils, lawn chairs, snacks and a cooler
of refreshments. Each team will be given a box used
specifically for turning in their entry.
Competitors are asked to arrive at 7 a.m. Saturday for
check-in at the corner of Clinton and Kickapoo streets.
