American Royal to Crown the Grand Champion of Barbecue This Weekend

Photo Credit: Dan Kaplan | Shutterstock The American Royal Association, located in the Historic West Bottoms of Kansas City, Missouri, will welcome more than 500 barbecue teams from around the world to their 34th Annual World Series of Barbecue October 4-6. The annual event is the largest barbecue contest in the world, with thousands of pitmasters from around the globe competing for trophies, prizes, and the prestigious title of Grand Champion. Each year more than 270,000 people attend events at the American Royal Complex. Over 20 acres in the heart of historic Kansas City are transformed into the world’s largest celebration of barbecue, featuring family-friendly events, cooking demonstrations from culinary experts, live music, interactive entertainment, a Kids Korral with mutton busting (by the way, that's when kids ride sheep), a petting zoo of exotic animals, and face painting. The three-day festival celebrates all things barbecue — from its rich history in Kansas City to the latest and greatest developments in grilling, smoking, and preparing championship-quality barbecued meats. Combine these with a related trade expo and the World Series of Barbecue Championship contests and this popular destination event earns its title as the World Series of Barbecue. The 2013 Barbecue Hall of Fame honors three award achievement categories: Pitmaster, Business/Industry, and Celebrity/Humanitarian.

Photo Courtesy of The American Royal The World Series of Barbecue is a “must attend” event for competitive pitmasters and backyard barbecue enthusiasts alike. The competition is intense, with world-renowned pitmasters and top-ranked BBQ teams competing in regional contests throughout the year, and the American Royal is considered the season finale for teams in the competitive barbecue circuit. The Open Contest, presented by Joe’s Kansas City, consistently draws the largest number of contestants, which makes it the toughest contest to win in the world of competitive barbecue. The Invitational Contest, presented by KC Masterpiece, has become the most acclaimed contest each year, because only teams earning a Grand Championship in other states and designated contests are allowed to compete. The winner of the KC Masterpiece Invitational Contest becomes the best of the best in barbecue.