Deadline approaching for Downtown Barbecue Cook-off

Proceeds from the Main Street Dyersburg Barbecue Cook-off will help revitalize downtown Dyersburg. The event's mascot will be Emmett the Flying Pig of Downtown Revitalization, who is named after the late Emmett Kelly Jr., the world-famous hobo clown born in Dyersburg.

Deadline for teams and vendors to register for the event is Tuesday, Oct. 9. Barbecue teams will compete for awards in four categories -- shoulder or butt, ribs, brisket or chicken. The entry free is $150. Check-in will be held from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Oct. 12. All entries must be cooked on-site.

As teams begin cooking their barbecue masterpieces on Friday, several other competitions will be under way such as the Anything But Contest and a Best Sauce contest. Entry is $10 per category. A Most Outrageous Booth will also be awarded that evening.

"For the Anything But Contest you can cook anything that doesn't involve the four main categories," said John Byrd, event coordinator. "This is a time when you can show off your best dessert or cook up a seafood dish. We will give out awards for Best Sauce, Most Outrageous Booth and Anything But at 8 p.m. Friday night."

At 6 p.m., there will be a cooks meeting to discuss the rules for Saturday's activities in the Main Street Dyersburg office, located at 111 Market St.

Also on Friday, as the teams are busy with their entries, downtown restaurants -- Subway, Todd's Café and Alvino's -- will be open for the public. Cozy Kitchen is slated to host a fish fry.

"Usually the teams cook all night long," said Byrd. "Their chicken entries are due on Saturday by 10 a.m. Ribs are to be turned in by 10:30 a.m., pork by 11 a.m. and brisket by 11:30 a.m."

Judging is based on appearance, taste and tenderness. Prize money and trophies in the Kansas City-style barbecue contest in each category will be $1,000 for grand champion, $500 for reserve, $200 for first place, $100 for second place, $50 for third and $25 for fourth.

"The difference between Kansas City and Memphis barbecue contests has nothing to do with the way the entries are prepared," said Byrd. "The difference is in how they are judged. In Memphis-style contests, the judging is usually done on site and the judges know who cooked it. But the Kansas City style uses blind judging so the judges have no idea who cooked it."

During the day Oct. 13, various local vendors, including the Morning Rotary Club, will be selling food. Live bluegrass music will be provided by the Jackson Plectral Society.

"They are the same ones who performed at our very, very popular bluegrass event a few months ago," said Steve Guttery, Chamber of Commerce's director of downtown development. "We had such a good response (from their appearance). This is the opportunity they've had to come back."

For a more intimate setting, the musicians will be circulating among the crowd instead of performing on a stage.

"We're doing this inexpensively. We'll have tents scattered around," said Guttery. "It will be an acoustic event. The music will come to you."

The tents will be set up on the Dyer County Courthouse lawn. Barbecue teams will be set up on the Market Street block of the courthouse. Vendors will be set up on the courthouse lawn across from City Drug.

Mill Avenue will be closed from the south side of Galleria down to Pennington's. Market will be closed from the Main Street intersection down to Merry Castle.

"Because of existing ordinances downtown, we'll be doing something unusual for barbecue events," said Guttery. "It will be dry, no alcohol allowed. We want this to be a family event and kids to be able to come."

"You do not have to be a Dyersburg resident to enter in the cook-off. This cook-off is for anyone who wants to participate," said Byrd. "Just come on out and enjoy the atmosphere. It's going to be great for our community."

This is one of several weekend events occurring over the next month in downtown Dyersburg.

"Our thought is to have something going on downtown as often as we can with worthwhile entertainment," Guttery said.

For vending or general information, contact Steve Guttery at 285-3433.

For cooking-team information, contact John Byrd at 731-225-8726.