BBQ Competitors

Event Information for the Sip & Swine BBQ Festival

March 7-8, 2025 // Coolray Field, Lawrenceville, Georgia

Competition Teams

See our past teams, competition results from previous years, and register online today to be either a Pro Team or a Backyard Team.

Competition Rules

100% of proceeds from the Sip & Swine BBQ Festival go to benefit The Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children's Shelter and the people they care for.

Prizes

The Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) is dedicated to the promotion & enjoyment of BBQ with over 16,000 members across the globe!

The Sip & Swine BBQ Festival is a great event for barbeque competitors and local visitors alike

There's a good reason that the Sip & Swine BBQ Festival has become not only the best local event in March, but also the premiere BBQ event in Georgia. It's because of you!

Competition Teams

At the Sip & Swine BBQ Festival, competition is broken into 2 fields: Pro & Backyard. Are you a serious competitor? Do you travel for competitions? Are you a member of KCBS? Then it sounds like you're a Pro! Or, if you just like to get together with friends, family, or coworkers, do a little barbequing with your signature sauce, then our Backyard competition should be just for you.

Competition categories at the Sip & Swine BBQ Festival include Chicken, Pork Ribs, Pork, and Beef Brisket.  The Backyard teams will compete in all categories barring Beef Brisket.  Only the Professional Teams, who are competing in all of the barbecue categories, are eligible for Grand Champion or Reserve Grand Champion awards.

Competition Full Schedule

THURSDAY, March 6th

12-8:00 PM Early Setup

FRIDAY, March 7th

9am-TBD Meat Inspection Begins
3:00 PM Open to Public, Music Begins
4:00 PM Cooks Meeting
9:00 PM Event Ends for the Day
11:00 PM Quiet Hours Begin

SATURDAY, March 8th

7:00 AM Quiet Hours End
10:00 AM Judges Sign-In
11:00 AM Judges Meeting, Event Opens to Public
11-12 PM Live Music, The Midland Station Band
12:00 PM Chicken Turn-In (Pros/Backyard)
12:15-1:45 PM Live Music, The Jonathan Ingrim Band
12:30 PM Rib Turn-In (Pros/Backyard)
1:00 PM Pork Turn-In (Pros/Backyard)
1:30 PM Brisket Turn-In (Pros Only)
2-3:30 PM Live Music, Under The Wheel 
3:45-5 PM Live Music, Dock Rock Radio
5:00 PM Awards Ceremony
6:00 PM Event Ends

Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter

The Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter is a private, non-profit 501©3 residential care facility that provides both long and short-term services to homeless children (0-17) and their young moms who find themselves in a homeless situation.

Our transitional program moves children and mothers from homeless to hopeful into a home of their own.  We serve children and mothers by setting them on a path to independence while keeping the family unit together.  Our program develops customized life plans for mothers that include mandatory employment, family savings goals, and life skills classes which will teach her how to maintain her household upon completion of our program.  Our children’s needs are met by first giving them a homelike environment where by are safe and loved and free to be kids.  We make sure they have their emotional, educational and physical needs met and then we watch them blossom.

Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS)

KCBS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and enjoying barbeque, and is the world’s largest organization of barbeque and grilling enthusiasts, with over 16,000 members worldwide.

KSBS sanctions over 400 barbeque contests coast-to-coast throughout America.  From volunteering to actual event production, its members offer assistance to civic and charitable organizations who organize events.

KCBS serves as a clearing house of barbeque information which provides:

  • Networking with related trade associations and other contest-sanctions organizations
  • Tracking trends in barbeque related products and equipment
  • Teaming up with other food organizations and the media to promote barbeque

With KCBS’s library and extensive archive of barbeque related articles, they offer educational programs, consultation services, and civic organization presentations to help promote barbeque as America’s Favorite Cuisine.