Battle of the Barbecue in Huntsville, Alabama
WhistleStop Weekend returns to downtown Huntsville, Alabama, May 3 and 4, 2019, offering two days of live music, craft beer, corn hole competitions, professional and amateur barbecue competitions and tastings on the grounds of the Historic Huntsville Depot, 320 Church Street.
The BBQ competition has three divisions: a professional division sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, the Kid’s Q for children 8 to 14 years old, and the Shade Tree (amateur) division.
Festival goers have two opportunities to sample and vote for their favorite team. From 6 to 7:30 p.m. May 3, the public decides the winner of the Wing Thing contest (nominal fee to sample and vote). From 1 to 3 p.m., festival goers can visit the Shade Tree cooking teams who will have Boston butt samples to taste for the People’s Choice Awards. Tasters vote for their favorites by placing money in a jar provided at the cook-site.
In honor of Alabama’s bicentennial, WhistleStop will be hosting an Alabama Music Mashup, paying tribute to iconic music made famous by Alabama musicians. A Kid’s Zone offers plenty of activities for children to enjoy, and adults are invited to check out a variety of beers from several local and regional breweries including Rocket Republic, Back Forty, Mad Malts and Ole Shed at the Craft Beer Pit, located behind the Round House.
Festival hours are 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Admission per person (ages 11+) is $25 and youth (ages 3-10 years old) is $5. Proceeds support the history education initiatives of the EarlyWorks Family of Museums.
