Covington’s 54th Annual World’s Oldest BBQ Contest kicks off tonight, bringing three days of fun to the county seat with competition barbecue, live music, a rodeo, a truck and tractor pull, and dozens of vendors.
Produced by the City of Covington Parks and Recreation Department, the festival is one of the region’s longest-running outdoor events.
Ready to go? Here’s what you can expect.
The barbecue competition
The centerpiece of the festival is its sanctioned Kansas City Barbeque Society competition, where teams are judged blind across four categories: chicken, pork ribs, pork shoulder and beef brisket. According to organizers, 11 teams registered to compete this year.
Among the most decorated entries is Razorracks, based in Arkansas. Pitmaster Drew Davis started competing on the KCBS circuit in 2014 and has since built one of the most consistent resumes in the sport, capped by the Grand Champion title at the 2024 KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship, the highest honor in sanctioned competition BBQ.
Joining them is another nationally recognized outfit, Triple H BBQ, a husband-and-wife team led by Bill and Andrea Heyen out of Gillespie, Ill. Triple H won the World Championship title at the 2021 American Royal Invitational and finished 3rd overall in the 2022 KCBS Team of the Year standings.
Also in the field is Mudville BBQ, led by pitmaster Thomas Gearhart, who built the team from the ground up starting in 2015 and earned his first Grand Championship in 2019. Peach Coast BBQ, out of Georgia, has competed in festivals across the Southeast on the KCBS circuit. Rounding out the field are Shockin’ Swine, Green Valley Grillers, Dang Good BBQ, Smoke Busters, Whiskey and Swine, BBQ Maestros and Kermit’s Ex.
The competition schedule has not yet been released.
Two nights of rodeo
A two-night rodeo runs Thursday and Friday, May 28 and 29. Gates open at 5 p.m. each night. Tennessee Backwater performs beginning at 6 p.m. inside the riding arena. The rodeo runs from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Events include bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc, calf roping, team roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping and bulldogging.
Cost
- Thursday (Friends and Family Night): $40 for a group of 5, or $10 per person
- Friday: $15 per person
- Children 5 and under: Free both nights
- Military with valid ID: Free both nights
Cash and credit cards are accepted.
The annual truck and tractor pull
The truck and tractor pull takes place Saturday, May 30, from 7-10 p.m. Classes competing include Super Stock Tractors, Super Farm Tractors, Hot Farm Tractors, Pro Stock Diesel Trucks, Limited Pro Class and Local Street Trucks.
Saturday admission is $15 per person. Children 5 and under are free. Military with valid ID are admitted free.
Two nights of live music
Concerts are held inside the riding arena before and during the rodeo each night, with two distinct acts booked for the festival.
Tennessee Backwater takes the stage Thursday beginning at 6 p.m. The band is a local act, hailing from Henning and Covington. Blake Daniels and brothers Bo and Hunter Elder formed the core of the group as lifelong friends with deep roots in farming, hunting, and fishing, as well as music. The band has since expanded to a fuller lineup, blending original songs with cover material across a range of styles. Their recent single “In God We Trust” has drawn attention beyond the regional circuit and is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Thumpdaddy, a Memphis-based cover band and festival staple, performs Friday beginning at 6 p.m. Where Tennessee Backwater brings original songwriting and regional roots, Thumpdaddy brings a high-energy, crowd-focused dance show. The band covers music from the 1960s through today’s chart-toppers, with no genre excluded – think Aretha Franklin, Prince, Bruno Mars, Journey and everything in between. They are a regular presence at major Memphis venues and regional festivals and are known for an interactive, polished stage show built to keep audiences on their feet.
Merchants and food vendors
Vendors are open all three days. Thursday hours run from 5 to 10 p.m., Friday from 4:30 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 3 to 10 p.m.
Confirmed vendors include: Nichole Squared, Hot Dog Express, Sunny Sips, Grillin’ N Chillin’, Llama’s Diner, Llama’s Frozen Sweets, Southern Sippin’, 901 Nacho Lemonade, 901 Birria Station, PK’s Loaded Grill, Ice Cream Tour, Tacos Loco’s, Crossover Eats, Kravable Kreations, A&D’s Unique Creations, TwisteeShirts, Cricket Wireless, Renewal By Anderson, Creationshei2, Dirty Sips Soda Shop and Tennessee Unclaimed Property.
There is no demolition derby scheduled for this year’s festival.
It will take place at Cobb-Parr Park, which is at the corner of Hwy. 51 and Bert Johnston Avenue in Covington.
If you’re planning to go, check out the festival’s Facebook page for more information about events and potential changes due to weather.
