Daily Schedule and Partnership with Project Green Fork
Announced; Pickleball Activities, Live Music, Fairgrounds,
Fireworks, A Memphis Market and Bazaar, and Local Food Vendors
Added
Stroller- and Diaper Bag-Friendly Rules for Families
MEMPHIS,
Tenn., May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
Today, SmokeSlam, the world's ultimate BBQ festival with the
richest prize in the sport's history, doubled down on why SmokeSlam
is more than a BBQ competition but a truly inclusive experience
that will appeal to BBQ fans, families, foodies and tourists alike.
Organizers announced the daily schedule is now live at
www.SmokeSlam.com. The festival is also proud to announce they are
working with the non-profit Project Green Fork to provide food to
underprivileged communities across Memphis. Since its inception in 2008, Project
Green Fork (PFG), spearheaded by Margot
McNeely, has strategically partnered with local dining
establishments to mitigate waste, bolstering Memphis's ecological profile. SmokeSlam is
collaborating with PGF by retrieving surplus food twice daily and
distributing packaged food to community stakeholders.
In addition to the highly anticipated Live Fire Extravaganza,
which takes place daily and features famed pitmasters like
Al Frugoni, Chris Stafford (LoneMountainBBQ), Misty Banchero (SeattleButchersWife) and
Toni Ramirez (TFTI), who will cook
up endless bites for guests, 901 Pickleball is bringing the popular
sport to anyone who wants to give it a try while at the festival.
Sponsored by Wickles Pickles, Pickleball 901 will provide four
full-size pickleball courts with professional nets, paddles, balls,
coaches, music, and demo gear underneath the large awning on the
river. It will be a first come/first served walk-up open play all
day. There will also be a beginner court for people to learn to
play for free.
"Unlike other BBQ competitions, you won't have to purchase food
to satisfy your hunger. From sliders to wings to street tacos and
shrimp and grits, the pitmasters have something in store for
everyone with a general admission ticket. We will even have BBQ'd
veggies and fruits for those who want to skip the meat. This is
more than just a barbecue competition, this is an experience we
really want to share not only with our Memphis family but also our friends from out
of town, with activities and live music from Tone Loc (my personal
favorite), WAR, The Bar-Kays, and so much more," said Melzie Wilson, SmokeSlam Organizer.
Important times to note:
Doors open at 2 PM each day.
Fireworks begin around 10:15 PM each
night.
Tom Lee Park closes at midnight.
Thursday:
2 PM - 8 PM - B&B Charcoal
Live Fire Extravaganza presented by NBBQA
2:30 PM - Cooking Demo with Christy
Vanovers @girlscangril
3:00 PM - WFC Bacon Judging
Starts
3:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
John Lindsey @allquedupbbq
4:00 PM - WFC Wings Judging
Starts
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Meet and Greets
with Head Pitmasters Al Frugoni and Derek
Wolf (OvertheFireCooking) (VIP ONLY)
4:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
Erica Roby @bluesmokeblair
5:00 PM - WFC Dessert Judging
Starts
5:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
Ray Sheehan @chef.raysheehan
5:45 PM - 6:45 PM - Live Music at the
White Claw Stage: Noisy Cats Are We
6:00 PM - 7:00 - Meet and Greets with
Myron Mixon (5x World Champion),
Heath Riles (75x BBQ Grand
Champion), and Carey Bringle
(PegLegPorker) (VIP ONLY)
6:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
Robert Perkins/Pancho and Lefty
7:15 PM -8:15 PM - Live Music at the
White Claw Stage: Mustache The Band
7:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
Mike Starr @blazingstarbbq
8:45 PM - 10:15 PM - Live Music at
the White Claw Stage: Mix Tape Tour featuring Tone Loc,
Rob Base, Young MC, DJ M Walk
Friday
2 PM - 8 PM - B&B Charcoal
Live Fire Extravaganza presented by NBBQA
2:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
John Lindsey @allquedupbbq
2:30 PM - WFC Duck Judging
Starts
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM - Meet and Greets
with Logan Sandoval (ZefBBQ) and
Netflix BBQ Showdown Champion Thyron
Mathews (VIP only)
3:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
Ray Sheehan @chef.raysheehan
4:00 PM - WFC Seafood Judging
Starts
4:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
Erica Roby @bluesmokeblair
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM Live Music at the
White Claw Stage: Hope Clayburn
& Soul Scrimmage
5:15 PM - 6:15 PM - Meet and Greets
with Melissa Cookston (7xWorld BBQ
Champion), Erica Roby (Blue Smoke
Blair), and TV personality Gina
Neely
5:30 PM - Cooking Demo with Kunchi
@cookinwidkunchi
6 PM - 7:15 PM WFC Awards Ceremony hosted by Erica Roby of Blue Smoke Blaire and Gina Neely (Host of Bluff City Life)
6:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
Thyron Mathews @thyronmathew
7:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
Mike Starr @blazingstarbbq
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM - Live Music at the
White Claw Stage: The Bar-Kays
9 PM - 10:15 PM - Live Music at the
White Claw Stage: War
Saturday
2:00 - MBN Finals Judging Begins
2 PM - 8 PM - B&B Charcoal Live
Fire Extravaganza presented by NBBQA
2:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
John Lindsey @allquedupbbq
3:00 PM - WJBL Chicken Turn
in
3:30 PM - Cooking Demo with Christy
Vanovers @girlscangrill
3:30 PM - WJBL Ribs Turn in
4:00 PM - WJBL Pork Turn In
4:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
Erica Roby @bluesmokeblair
4:30 PM - WJBL Brisket Turn
In
5:15 PM - 7:15 PM World Junior
Barbecue League (WJBL) Awards followed by Memphis Barbecue Network
(MBN) Awards hosted by Thyron & Logan from Netflix's Barbecue
Showdown
5:30 PM - Cooking Demo with
Ray Sheehan @chef.raysheehan
7:15 PM - 8:15 PM - Live Music at the
White Claw Stage: SmokeSlam Players
8:45 PM - 10:15 PM - Live Music at
the White Claw Stage: St Paul and
the Broken Bones
**Saturday Meet and Greets for VIP to be announced.
VIP ticket holders can also expect surprise guest appearances,
book signings, intimate discussions, and more from famed pitmasters
and influencers throughout the three days!
James Cook of People's Republic
of Swina, the 2nd place winner at MIM last year, explained why they
chose to participate in SmokeSlam: "Our team was founded in 2008 by
a group of local Memphians. We are serious about the BBQ and are
proud to have consistently achieved several top-place finishes in
KCBS, MBN, and MIM competitions. We chose to support SmokeSlam and
the contest downtown because we feel that the event and staff have
chosen to celebrate something that is uniquely Memphis and we want to be a part of
celebrating this great city in this amazing setting."
SmokeSlam has changed its policy to allow strollers and diaper
bags for guests wishing to bring the whole family. Kids can get
inspired by fellow young pitmasters as Melissa Cookston's World Junior Barbecue League
(WJBL) also competes for prize money on Saturday. The carousel and
Ferris wheel overlooking the Mississippi River are also not to be
missed. For those wanting something a little different, local
favorites Mempops, Pronto Pups, Sawce Pizza, and Tica's Burger
Joint will also be on-site and available for purchase. The Memphis
Market, curated by Memphis Flavor, will also be selling
Memphis's finest rubs and sauces,
and the NBBQA BBQ Bazaar will have products and books from some of
SmokeSlam's famed pitmasters and BBQ influencers for sale.
In addition to the largest cash prize purse in history, now at
$275,000 with the addition of a
$25,000 prize for the WJBL, SmokeSlam
winners will be wowed by the one-of-a-kind trophies designed and
created by the famed Memphis Metal Museum.
Festival sponsors include Bud Light, B&B Charcoal,
Duraflame, Cowboy Charcoal, White Claw, Stringbend Capital, Cayman
Jack, Southland Casino, Jim Beam, Memphis Tourism,
Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Welcome to Memphis, and Ducks Unlimited.
One-day general admission tickets are $24.99, and three-day general admission are
$65. VIP tickets are $240 each day and $599 for three days.
Tickets are available online or can be purchased at the
gate.
About SmokeSlam
SmokeSlam is a new BBQ festival
organized by Mempho Presents, a group with deep roots in
Memphis, music, and barbecue.
SmokeSlam's inaugural competition will occur May 16 - 18, 2024, at Tom Lee Park in
Memphis, TN. SmokeSlam is putting
up a purse of $275,000, the largest
in pork BBQ competition history, and has partnered with the Memphis
BBQ Network (MBN) to run the pork championship judging for the
competition. SmokeSlam will be an MBN-sanctioned event where teams
can compete in all three major categories, and category winners are
also eligible for a 'Golden Ticket' to compete in the World Food
Championships (WFC) in the fall. The WFC will be sanctioning all
ancillary competitions on Thursday and Friday. For more information
visit www.SmokeSlam.com.
About Mempho Presents
Mempho Presents, a division of
Forward Momentum, is an independent promotion company that crafts
world-class live events and fan experiences. The group produces
shows and events year-round, primarily at venues in Memphis, TN, and the Mid-South. For more
information, visit https://memphopresents.com/.
Media Contact
Lindsay
Stevens
213-200-9638
377622@email4pr.com
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SOURCE SmokeSlam