All about the Festival

2012 Festival
The 2012 Festival is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, June 8 and 9,  from 10 a.m.-11 p.m. each day. The Festival is held each year at Harmon Field in Tryon, N.C.

Tickets
Admission is $8, with children 12 and under admitted free.

Parking
FREE – we have lots of signs to direct you to ample field parking. Trams run continuously between the Main Gate and parking to carry you quickly and conveniently back and forth. Spacious for all your purchases and handicap accessible, this free service is just another way for us to thank you for visiting us!

Festival Entertainment
Located right in the heart of the festival, the big Main Stage hosts the big acts and headliners. There’s lots of space to dance in front of the stage and when the sun goes down there’s a whole lotta shakin’ going on! Located in an idyllic spot along the laughing Pacolet River near the head of the Foothills Crafts Fair, the Riverside Stage boasts more of a softer songwriters’ venue in an intimate setting.

For more information on the Festival's entertainment schedule and lineup, visit our Festival Music section. This year’s lineup hasn’t yet been announced, but you can get the flavor by reading about last year’s entertainers.

Foothills Craft Fair
Bring your canvas shopping bag and prepare to be delighted by the fine items in the Foothills Crafts Fair. Dotted along the Pacolet River, many of our artisans demonstrate their skills and enjoy chatting with you about their craft. We know of one of our guests that comes back year after year to accomplish most of her holiday shopping at the Fair!

Food
All food sold is located in the infield area in front of the main stage and all food is purchased with BBQ Bucks, so look for the booths that sell the bucks first.

If you like your food cooked slow & low, then step right up and order some of our BBQ. The folks selling you your ‘Q in the infield area are also competing for prizes and championship status in our contest, so you know you’re getting the best of the best! We only invite a small handful of our cookers— most are also professional restaurateurs and caterers—to vend to our festival-goers.

What would a food event be without delicious sweets and treats? Every year we invite many different food vendors to apply and then we cull the cream of the crop to offer you all of your favorites and maybe a few new delights, too! Thirsty? You can find exotic beers in the Biergarten as well as wine by the glass in  the Vineyard Tent. Our BBQ vendors have tea, and please check out our Non-BBQ Food Vendors for other beverages such as fresh-squeezed lemonade. The festival also sells bottled water, sodas and beer throughout the infield area; perfect for a fine summer day!

Hog Heaven!
The heart and the soul of the Blue Ridge Barbecue & Music Festival is where our competition cook teams set up their rigs to vie for prestige, cash prizes and awards in this, the North Carolina State Barbecue Championship. The top ranking team from North Carolina also wins the coveted Governor’s Trophy. Teams must compete in all four sanctioned categories; Chicken, Pork Ribs, Pork and Beef Brisket to be considered for Grand Champion.

Judging is by Kansas City Barbecue Society certified judges and we use a double blind system to ensure a fair and equal contest. Although the smell of sweet and spicy smoke will make your mouth water in anticipation, there is no food sold to the public in the competition area—only in the infield area.

Cooker Store
Many of our cook teams offer their sauces and rubs to you through our Cooker Store. Come, pick out your favorites to take home—and pick up a few extras to give as gifts, too.

Rides & Games
Kids of all ages will enjoy the back–to-back Kids Fun Park, with age appropriate rides and amusements. This year, kids can get unlimited ride bracelets, but the exact details have not yet been firmed up. Last year we offered unlimited rides for $15 in two sessions each day.10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Main Street
Come browse our Main Street vendors for a diverse offering of goods and services.

SPECIAL EVENTS (SATURDAY ONLY)
• Hawg Run - This is a Poker Run originating in Greenville and Black Mountain and terminating at the Festival on Saturday.

• Antique Auto Show - Come enjoy a stroll back in time as members of the antique car owners share their lovingly restored/maintained cars. Great fun for the whole family! More details to come soon.

MORE INFO
Going Green – Our Recycling Initiative
We set a goal, starting with Festival 2006 to reduce our landfill waste by 75% in three years. We fell only slightly short of that substantial goal in 2008, and in 2009 did succeed in an 80% reduction insofar as the festivalgoers were concerned. Great cooperation all around! Read all about it here.

Finding the Festival
The Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival is held each year at Harmon Field in Tryon, N.C. Use Google Maps to plot a course from any address to the Festival grounds or click here for more directions to the Festival grounds.