BBQ Cook-Off

The History

Produced by the City of Mauldin, the annual festival is a showcase of the heritage of our community, from its food to its music.

The Mauldin BBQ Cook-off features more than 20 cookers from all over the Southeast, competing to bring the best BBQ to Mauldin. The festival opens Friday night with our Anything Butt competition, where Participating Cookers serve anything BUTT their BBQ to pique your tastebuds. Sliders, grilled chicken, smoked cobbler—the only way to know what’s cooking is to come try it for yourself.

Saturday features the main event, a BBQ Cook-off competition with a panel of certified BBQ Tasters from the South Carolina Barbeque Association. The public will also have a chance to cast their vote for the best BBQ and the winner of the People’s Choice Award.

Paired with live music and family fun, this can’t-miss festival is the perfect pig-out.

Plus, we are closing out day 1 with a bang! Don’t miss a spectacular firework show sponsored by United Community Friday night.

BBQ EVENT MAP

The Scoop

2025 information coming soon! Look below for 2024 information

General InfoFoodMusicKids ZoneDog ZoneSponsorsVendorsVolunteer2024 Team Registration2024 Winners

GENERAL INFO

Schedule

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

*Note: Food is served only while supplies last.

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2024

*Note: Food is served only while supplies last.

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Pricing

Admission, parking, live music, and kids zone are all free – you only have to pay to eat and drink!

TASTE TICKETS

$5 for sheet of 5 tickets (1 ticket = $1)

FRIDAY – Anything Butt Competition

Food Items | 2-6 tickets each

SATURDAY – BBQ Cook-Off

1 ticket = 1 bbq sample. Each sample is 2 oz. of pulled pork.

ALL WEEKEND

Tickets/Cash/Cards are accepted at non-competing food vendors

ALCOHOL VENDOR IS CASH/CARD ONLY
Soft Drinks / Water | $1
Beer / Wine | $4-6

*prices subject to change
*Tickets are non-refundable
*Food from bbq cookers served while supplies last

Directions & Parking

This event is located at the Outdoor Amphitheater behind the Mauldin Cultural Center at 101 E Butler Rd, Mauldin, SC 29662.

ALL PARKING IS FREE

We recommend parking at the following locations:

Mauldin Cultural Center – 101 East Butler Road

Mauldin City Hall – 5 East Butler Road

Mauldin Sports Center – 10 City Center Drive

Mauldin United Methodist Church – 100 East Butler Road

General Event Information

Want to know what to expect before you get here?

Lawn chairs and/or blankets are welcome at the outdoor amphitheater.
Outside food and beverages are prohibited. Food and beverage vendors will be on-site.
Attendees must be age 21+ to consume alcohol. An ID and wristband will be required. Wristbands may be obtained at the ticket tents and are free of charge.
Smoking is prohibited.
Weapons are prohibited.
Skateboards, scooters, hoverboards and bicycles are prohibited
Dogs are allowed on leash. Please carry disposable bags to pick up any pet droppings.

THE FOOD

Friday | Anything Butt Competition

ANYTHING BUTT COMPETITION

Friday, September 13, 2024 | 6 – 9 p.m.

To get the Cookers warmed up, we kick off with an “Anything Butt” competition! Participating Cookers will serve a dish/item of their choosing to pique your tastebuds. Everything is on the table with this competition – everything BUT their BBQ. Sliders? Maybe. Grilled Vegetable Medley? Why not. Grilled Chicken? Sounds good. Smoked Cobbler? Now we’re talking. Food will be available from 6 p.m. until it runs out. Our panel of guest judges will pick their favorite item and give them a special award during Saturday’s award ceremony. Ticket sales end at 8 p.m. – all food is served while supplies last!

All items are priced $2-6/serving. BBQ Teams set their own price.
Teams may only accept event taste tickets. Tickets can be purchased at one of the Ticket Booths.
Tickets purchased for Anything Butt on Friday are also valid for Saturday’s BBQ Cook-Off and may be used at food trucks.
Drinks and alcohol are $1-5 – paid directly to beverage provider, they do not accept tickets
Items may contain certain allergens (nuts, wheat products, milk, etc). Check with each Team before purchasing.
Pace yourself! Every BBQ Team participates, so there is a lot of food to sample!

Check out our vendor tab to see other participating food trucks

Saturday | Mauldin BBQ Cook-off

Saturday, September 14, 2024 | 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The main event takes place all day on Saturday. Tasting Tickets allow you to sample pulled pork from the cookers of your choosing (each taste is 2 oz. of pure pork goodness, 1 ticket=1 sample). Remember to vote for your favorite — the Cooker who wins “People’s Choice” receives a special prize! This event is judged by the SC BBQ Association. Awards are presented at 2:15 p.m. Ticket sales end at 1 p.m. – all food is served while supplies last!

$5 for sheet of (5) tickets
1 ticket = 1 BBQ tasting (or $1 at food trucks)
Drinks and alcohol are $1-5 – paid directly to beverage provider, they do not accept tickets
Tickets can be used for tastings and food trucks on Saturday.

Check out our vendor tab to see other participating food trucks

MUSIC

Music and BBQ go together like…well, music and BBQ. All performances are free of charge and will be held in the Mauldin Cultural Center’s Outdoor Amphitheater right on the festival grounds. Bring your lawn chair and blankets to relax, digest, and enjoy the music! Remember — outside food and beverages are prohibited, and this is a smoke-free event.

Away Team | Friday, September 13 | 6 – 9 p.m.

“The Away Team is a High-energy event, party, and wedding powerhouse band that knows how to bring the house down! We have a passion for electrifying performances. We deliver top-notch entertainment that keeps the dance floor packed and the energy soaring.”

Angela Easterling & The Beguilers | Saturday, September 14 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Angela Easterling brandishes her songwriting chops with rootsy, refreshing, homespun tunes. Her backing band, The Beguilers (bass, drums and lead guitar), master many complex styles, with instrumentation that fleshes out the stories in Angela’s songs, and adds some rocking fun. Their act is not quite country, not quite folk, but all together unique and engaging. Read more about Angela here.

KIDS ZONE

The Kids Zone is open Friday and Saturday. All activities are FREE!

Bark-B-Q DOG ZONE

We love dogs and rumor has it that dogs love bbq! Bring your pup to the festival and stop by the Bark-B-Q Dog Zone, sponsored by WOW! Fiber Internet.

Splash Pools

Giveaways with WOW! Fiber Internet

Photo Booth

Specialty Dog Vendors

Want to be a vendor in our dog zone? Send an email to [email protected] to register!

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FOOD & MARKET VENDORS

Blood Drive on Saturday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Donate blood and receive a $40 e-gift card! Pre-register here.

VOLUNTEER

We have plenty of opportunities for you or your group to volunteer at this year’s BBQ Cook-Off. Volunteers are needed both Friday and Saturday. Just a few rules/regulations:

Each date has one shift – Please sign up for only one position as you can only do one job at a time. If you want to volunteer for both Friday and Saturday, make sure to sign up for your desired position both dates.
Volunteers must be high school age or older. Some positions are only for those age 16+ or 21+. Middle school students may partner with a parent/adult to volunteer.
Please read the position descriptions to ensure you are comfortable with the position requirements (ie: operating iPad, cash handling, etc.)

Volunteers will receive a bbq volunteer t-shirt to wear and 10 tasting tickets each!

2024 TEAM REGISTRATION

Only 30 BBQ Team slots are open this year. The event is sanctioned, and judged by the SC BBQ Association, and will award cash prizes to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th places. Teams are required to participate in Friday’s “Anything Butt” competition and showcase their non-BBQ skills (as well as give our lovely guests something to chow down on). A $200 registration fee is REQUIRED and due for each team at the time of application. The fee is non-refundable for accepted Teams. The City of Mauldin reserves the right to reject any registration. If for some reason your registration is denied, you will receive a full refund. If for some reason you cancel after your registration has been received, accepted, and processed, you will be issued a refund if and only if the Event Coordinators can fill the empty slot with another cook team.

2024 Cooker Packet

Registration for the 2024 Cook-Off is closed. Team Registration for the 15th annual BBQ Cook-off in 2025 will open in Spring 2025.

2024 Prizes

Check out our prizes for 2024:

1st – $2,500
2nd – $2,000
3rd – $1,500
4th – $1,000
5th – $500
Anything Butt – Free 2025 Registration
People’s Choice – Free 2025 Registration

2024 WINNERS

Full scores & team photos are available on the South Carolina Barbeque Association’s website

BBQ COOK-OFF | 1ST PLACE: Monkey Bottom Boys

BBQ COOK-OFF | 2ND PLACE: Daddy Blue’s BBQ

BBQ COOK-OFF | 3RD PLACE: JW Cooks

BBQ COOK-OFF | 4TH PLACE: Tail-Gater Hater

BBQ COOK-OFF | 5TH PLACE: Slinging Meat

ANYTHING BUTT | SAVORY: Upstate Smokeshop

ANYTHING BUTT | SWEET: High on the Hog BBQ

GABE HUNTER PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD: In the Army Que

RIBS | 1ST PLACE: FFITS BBQ

RIBS | 2ND PLACE: Tail-Gater Hater

RIBS | 3RD PLACE: Slinging Meat

RIBS | 4TH PLACE: Men at Work BBQ

TONY LINDSEY 1ST PLACE BRISKET AWARD: JW Cooks

BRISKET | 2ND PLACE: Triple Jacks BBQ