St. Pete’s most gastronomically-pleasing event is taking over the downtown waterfront this weekend. The Tampa Bay Barbecue Festival & Competition is turning Vinoy Park into a full weekend of hog heaven, taking place this Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24.
The 9th annual festival is a sprawling celebration of great local food, fantastic live music, and cold local beer. There will be more than 100 BBQ dishes available for purchase from award-winning pitmasters – from rich and smoky brisket to thick and crispy bacon cheeseburgers and fall-off-the-bone ribs. Tickets are available here.
It’s the perfect celebration for Memorial Day Weekend, effectively turning the downtown waterfront into one big community cookout. General admission tickets are $15 in advance, which grant access to the main festival grounds and all musical performances. Kids 10 and under get into the festival for free, and dogs are allowed, but must be on a leash. Pit Pass upgrades and VIP tickets are available, as well.
This year’s live music schedule on the mainstage is particularly impressive, with some stellar bands and solo acts on hand to entertain the crowds. Saturday is headlined by Rodney Atkins and Austin Snell, while Sunday includes feature performances by Blackberry Smoke and Graham Barham. You can see the full schedule here…