The History
Produced by the City of Mauldin, the annual festival is a showcase of the heritage of our community, from its food to its music.
The Mauldin BBQ Cook-off features more than 20 cookers from all over the Southeast, competing to bring the best BBQ to Mauldin. The festival opens Friday night with our Anything Butt competition, where Participating Cookers serve anything BUTT their BBQ to pique your tastebuds. Sliders, grilled chicken, smoked cobbler—the only way to know what’s cooking is to come try it for yourself.
Saturday features the main event, a BBQ Cook-off competition with a panel of certified BBQ Tasters from the South Carolina Barbeque Association. The public will also have a chance to cast their vote for the best BBQ and the winner of the People’s Choice Award.
Paired with live music and family fun, this can’t-miss festival is the perfect pig-out.
The Scoop
See our 2019 lineup and info below. 2020 details are coming soon!
GENERAL INFO
Want to know what to expect before you get here? Download our printable guide for this event! Plus, A few notes to make your visit a smooth one:
- Lawn chairs and/or blankets are welcome at the outdoor amphitheater.
- Outside food and beverages are prohibited. Food and beverage vendors will be on-site.
- Attendees must be age 21+ to consume alcohol. An ID and wristband ($1) will be required.
- Dogs are allowed on leash. Please carry disposable bags to pick up any pet droppings.
- Smoking, skateboards, and bicycles are not allowed at this event.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
6 p.m. | Festival Opens (Anything Butt Competition)*
6 p.m. | Kids Zone Opens
6 p.m. | Live Music by Little Lesley & the Bloodshots
9 p.m. | Festival Closes
*Note: Food is served only while supplies last.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
11 a.m. | Festival Opens (BBQ Cook-Off)*
11 a.m. | Kids Zone Opens
11:30 a.m. | Live Music by The Trapfire Brothers
2:30 p.m. | Winners Announced & Pint Sales Open
3 p.m. | Festival Closes
*Note: Food is served only while supplies last.
The Blood Connection will be on-site from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. All donors will receive a Walmart Gift Card.
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THE FOOD
MUSIC
Music and BBQ go together like…well music and BBQ. All performances are free of charge and will be held in the Mauldin Cultural Center’s Outdoor Amphitheater right on the festival grounds. Bring your lawn chair and blankets to relax, digest, and enjoy the music! Remember — outside food/drink are prohibited, and this is a smoke-free event.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 | 6:00 p.m.
Called “a welcome shot in the arm for the rockin’ faithful” by UK’s Vintage Rock Magazine, Little Lesley & the Bloodshots have taken the international rockabilly scene by storm with their soulful twang and high energy live shows. Lesley Swift fronts the band, belting out her self-penned songs with gravel and grace. She caught the rock n’ roll fever from her guitar slingin’ husband, and what started in their garage in Nevada has been setting fire to hearts and feet since 2012. The band officially launched in New York City, and 2016 marked their first tour abroad as well as their signing with the legendary Western Star Records of the UK. The band then moved from Brooklyn to Greenville and quickly became a feature in the southeastern Kustom Kulture scene.
2018 brought the release of their album “Heartbeat” on Western Star Records, as well as a lineup change. Lesley leads the band on rhythm guitar, trading upright bass duties with Greenville’s own Mark Dye. Winthrop graduate and masterful country picker Zac Bolton is on lead, long-time honky tonk drummer Brian Kennedy keeps the dance beats in time, and the music continues to evolve.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 | 11:30 a.m
The Trapfire Brothers are a blues-rock outfit with an appreciation for good music across all genres. Their hats hang in Greenville, SC where the current lineup came together through a web of bands and jams stemming from their time in college. While not actually brothers, there is a shared passion for just having as much fun as possible playing music. The Trapfire Brothers repertoire covers artists ranging from The Wood Brothers to The Weekend, and if you are lucky, you might catch an ear-pleasing original or three every now and then.
KIDS ZONE
The Kids Zone is open Friday and Saturday. All activities are FREE!
Inflatable Rides
Face Painting & Balloon Twisting
Sidewalk Chalk
Games
Milk Bottle Toss hosted by Boy Scouts Pack 715 
Scavenger Hunt hosted by Sprouts Farmers Market (Saturday only) 
Cotton Candy and Fun by Take Heart Church 
Trivia and Prize Wheel by Greenville Library, Mauldin Branch (Saturday only)
SPONSORS AND VENDORS
Stage Sponsor | Great Southern Homes
With a focus on style, quality and affordability, it’s no surprise that Great Southern Homes has become one of South Carolina’s leading homebuilders. They’ve built over 5,000 homes in two decades of homebuilding and understand the importance of large family rooms, owner’s suites with garden tub retreats, open floor plans for fabulous entertaining, spacious kitchens with plenty of storage, and a variety of bedroom layouts to suit your lifestyle and budget. At Great Southern Homes, dream homes are standard.
The Blood Connection will be on-site from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. All donors will receive a Walmart Gift Card. Sign up today!
Other vendors
- AJ’s Hawaiian Shaved Ice
- Chocolate Artworks
- Matthew Darling’s Boiled Peanuts
- Young’s Backyard BBQ Sauce
2019 SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
This weekend event brings more than 2,000 attendees to the Mauldin Outdoor Amphitheatre. Depending on your sponsorship level, you could be earning $47K+ in media presence, brand recognition at events, complimentary tasting passes and beverages, and reserved parking by sponsoring the Sooie. BBQ Cook-off. Check out our various sponsorship levels below.
Download the sponsorship packet here.
Presenting Sponsor | $10,000 | 1 Available
- Company banner displayed at festival – provided by sponsor
- Company logo on marketing materials and tasting pass
- Complimentary tasting passes, wristbands and parking for ten (10)
- Vendor opportunity at event – materials and setup provided by sponsor
Stage Sponsor | $5,000 | 1 Available Great Southern Homes
- Company banner displayed at festival – provided by sponsor
- Company logo on marketing materials
- Complimentary tasting passes, wristbands and parking for eight (8)
Anything Butt Sponsor | $3,000 | 1 Available
- Company logo on marketing materials
- Company listed as sponsor on marketing materials
- Complimentary tasting passes, wristbands and parking for six (6)
Supporting Sponsor | $1,000 | Unlimited
- Company listed as sponsor on marketing materials
- Complimentary tasting passes, wristbands and parking for two (2)
Interested? Drop us a line at [email protected], pay your sponsorship online, or call us at 864.335.4862.
Download the sponsorship packet here.
VOLUNTEER
We have plenty of opportunities for you or your group to volunteer at this year’s BBQ Cook-Off. Volunteers are needed both Friday and Saturday. Volunteers who work receive a free dinner plate Friday night or a free tasting pass on Saturday.
Each shift is two and a half hours, but feel free to sign up for multiple shifts.
Just a few rules/regulations:
- Volunteers must check-in with our volunteer coordinator 10-15 minutes prior to shifts.
- Volunteers must be high school age or older. Middle school students may partner with a parent/adult to volunteer.
- Volunteers should bring a can-do attitude and some room for ‘cue in their bellies.
Want to volunteer? Sign up today!
TEAM REGISTRATION
EVENT DATE: Friday, September 18 & Saturday, September 19, 2020
Only 30 BBQ Team slots are open this year. The event is sanctioned, and judged by the SC BBQ Association, and will award cash prizes to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th places. Teams are required to participate in Friday’s “Anything Butt” competition and showcase their non-BBQ skills (as well as give our lovely guests something to chow down on).
A $125 registration fee is REQUIRED and due for each team at the time of application. The fee is non-refundable for accepted Teams. The City of Mauldin reserves the right to reject any registration. If for some reason, your registration is denied, you will receive a full refund. If for some reason, you cancel after your registration has been received, accepted, and processed, you will be issued a refund if and only if the Event Coordinators can fill the empty slot with another cook team.
REGISTRATION FOR 2020
The registration period will be open from April 1 – April 30, 2020. Cookers will be notified of their acceptance on May 8, 2020.
HOW TO APPLY
Download and complete the registration packet when it becomes available. As soon as you’re ready, submit it along with the $125 registration fee (check, cash or money order ONLY please) to Mary Jane Parks at [email protected] or PO Box 249, Mauldin, SC 29662.
2020 Prizes
Check out our prizes for 2020:
- 1st – $3,000
- 2nd – $2,000
- 3rd – $1,500
- 4th – $1,000
- 5th – $500
- Anything Butt – Free 2020 Registration
- People’s Choice – Free 2020 Registration
- Ribs – Winner-Take-All Pot