Ever been to a barbecue cooking contest? I'm sure it is like other regional cooking contests. But, we live in northeast Mississippi a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee which is one of the, if not THE, mecca's of barbecue. Annually, there are contests all around the region that can qualify a team to participate in THE contest - "Memphis in May". This week is one of those contests at "Southaven Springfest". Yes there are fair rides, games, concerts, but the center of the festival is the barbecue cooking contest. There are some serious cooking teams. These guys (well by far mostly guys) live to travel around the region perfecting the art of barbecue. This is not just a little hobby. First you have to have a cool name.....
Then you need a really cool (expensive) set-up. Think Monster Garage or Pimp My Ride but with fancy barbecue grills (yes, multiple grills, one several thousand dollar cooker will not suffice). And keep in mind, there is serious cooking going on but it would not be a cooking contest week without serious entertaining.
You should also not leave home without proof that you belong at this party. 
The bank my husband works for occasionally puts together a team to participate in local festivals. It is more of an opportunity to entertain, network, and get the bank's name out in the community. But I guarantee they are planning on winning something. Last night, was family night. The team cooked for the bank employees, their families as well as customers and their families. That's Kenny in the middle.
Kenny and his coworkers/buddies have been going strong since Wednesday...setting up the tent area, getting the grills ready, organizing supplies, preparing food, "networking", having the party last night. Did I mention that barbecue around here means pork cooked really slow. That means the grills are constantly full of meat at different stages. That also means there have to be cookers close at hand all the time...yes that means all night. The actual judging is tomorrow morning but so far they have had a great Springfest. Here are some more pictures of the guys...
