Friday evening, from 5 to 9 p.m., is the Dessert & Appetizer Competition. And on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Four-Meat BBQ Competition, featuring chicken, ribs, pork and brisket, will take center stage.
This is a Barbecue Championship Series–sanctioned competition, which is no small thing, Liz Hewat, events manager of the Downtown Mesa Association, says.
"They bring their meat. The judges go around and inspect it beforehand," she explains. "They're not allowed to start cooking until a specific time on Friday. So they're gonna be out there all day Friday, overnight, because brisket takes a while to cook, and they've gotta be ready to go by certain times on Saturday."
Competitors firing up their grills and smokers range from restaurant owners to proprietors of catering businesses to a handful of passionate hobbyists. One of the entrants is Operation BBQ Relief, a nonprofit that has provided over 11 million meals to people impacted by natural disasters, those experiencing homelessness and others.
Beyond the brisket, other attractions will include live music from local bands Hooked on a Feeling and Stereohead, axe-throwing and a beer garden. On Saturday, there will be line and swing dancing lessons as well as a "Kids-Q" competition.
This event, taking place in the heart of downtown Mesa on Macdonald and Main Street, should have something for everybody, Hewat says.
"We've got younger people, we've got families, our snowbirds are back in town, I've had several people reach out already who are barbecue junkies and they're so excited," she says. "It's a fun event that everyone is welcome to come to."
Downtown Mesa BBQ Classic
Nov. 8 & 9Macdonald and Main Street, Downtown Mesa
