It’s all about the smoke!

Smoke, Wind & Fire presented by Alberta Pork and Hickory Street is a two-day festival  gathering BBQ lovers in the heart of Canada’s Premier Food Corridor on July 23-24, 2022. The culinary festival celebrates BBQ culture as professional Master Series and Backyard Amateur teams compete for the nation’s best BBQ on July 23-24! Hosted in collaboration with Alberta Pork and Hickory Street, this event invites the public to take in the taste, smell, sounds and sights of mouth-watering BBQ.

While the competitive BBQ competition is closed to the public, Lethbridge & District Exhibition and Alberta Pork invite guests to enjoy additional event entertainment that celebrates everything BBQ on Saturday, July 23. This year’s event will include our BBQ food offerings, a beer garden, and live entertainment.

While Smoke, Wind & Fire is a barbeque competition first, we invite the community to participate in the entertainment and learn more about competition BBQ.

Whether you believe you are a fire-master extraordinaire, or if you just enjoy good  BBQ, this event is a great opportunity to have fun and meet the masters behind the grill!

Event Details

Date: Saturday, July 23: Family Festival & Backyard Amateur Competition

Time: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Location: Lethbridge & District Exhibition – South Pavilion Parking Lot

Admission: Free

Alberta Pork

As the proud presenting partner Alberta Pork invites you to take in the taste, smell, sounds and sights of mouth-watering BBQ! Attendees are welcome to kick back with a cold beverage at the Hudsons Beer Gardens, enjoy authentic Southern Alberta BBQ at the Hickory Street Food Truck and earn bragging rights at the Beyond Hot Sauce Challenge, enter to win a DrumBuddy from DrumBo plus check out 106.7 ROCK on the main stage. See below for more details:

Hudsons Beer Garden

Bring your friends, enjoy the hot summer sun and experience Smoke, Wind & Fire from the sidelines with a cold beverage at the Hudsons beer garden located in the South Parking lot, serving up refreshing drinks from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Hickory Street

Food Truck & Beyond Hot Sauce Challenge

Snag yourself some Authentic Southern BBQ!! Hickory Street will be on site 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. serving up amazing southern BBQ including brisket, ribs, pulled pork, chicken and all the fixin’s!

Think you can handle the heat and have what it takes to conquer the Beyond Hot Sauce Challenge? Stop by Hickory Street to compete.

Plus watch as Hickory Street will be guest judging in the Backyard BBQ Contest and competing in the Master Series Competition on Sunday, July 24.

DrumBo

DrumBo handcrafted premium smokers are easy to use and produce championship level BBQ. Check out the high-quality Charcoal Drum Smokers, made in right here in Alberta.

Live Demo’s & Enter for the chance to win your very own DrumBuddy!

Catch DrumBo live on stage for a smoker / charcoal demonstration and learn to smoke like a pro!  Plus stop by the Drumbo booth and enter for the chance TO WIN A DRUMBUDDY!

Food Trucks

On site serving up mouth watering eats, guests will find Hickory Street & Coolee Treats

Be sure to check out the Lethbridge & District Exhibition Culinary Offering. We will be serving up Korean style BBQ pork with made in house pickled vegetables. Or try out the smoked jerk chicken with traditional Jamaican rice and peas.

Competition Information

Professionally sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS), the competition features prizes awarded in the four traditional categories (Chicken, Ribs, Pork, Beef Brisket).

The Backyard Amateur Competition will be hosted on Saturday, July 23 with two categories (Chicken and Ribs). The Master Series Competition will be hosted on Sunday, July 24. Competitors can arrive on-site for set-up on Friday evening or early Saturday morning and will remain on-site until after the awards ceremony on Sunday. Please familiarize yourself with the KCBS competition rules prior to applying. A barbeque team information guide will be made available for further reference.

Professional Judging

Judge applications for Smoke, Wind & Fire are open! Judges will be required for the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) competition taking place on July 23 and 24, 2022. Only KCBS-qualified Certified Barbeque Judges and Table Captains may participate in KCBS-sanctioned competitions worldwide, including Smoke, Wind & Fire.