BBQ Cook-Off

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.

VIEW THE 2025 BBQ MAP HERE!

The Scoop

General InfoFoodMusicSpecialty ZonesKids ZoneSponsorsVendorsVolunteer2026 Team Registration2025 Winners

GENERAL INFO

Schedule

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

*Note: Food is served only while supplies last.

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2026

*Note: Food is served only while supplies last.

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Pricing

Admission, parking, live music, and kids zone are all free – you only have to pay to eat and drink!

TASTE TICKETS

$5 for sheet of 5 tickets (1 ticket = $1)

FRIDAY – Anything Butt Competition

Food Items | 2-6 tickets each

SATURDAY – BBQ Cook-Off

1 ticket = 1 bbq sample. Each sample is 2 oz. of pulled pork.

ALL WEEKEND

Tickets/Cash/Cards are accepted at non-competing food vendors

ALCOHOL VENDOR IS CASH/CARD ONLY
Soft Drinks / Water | $1
Beer / Wine | $4-6

*prices subject to change
*Tickets are non-refundable
*Food from bbq cookers served while supplies last

Directions & Parking

This event is located at the Outdoor Amphitheater behind the Mauldin Cultural Center at 101 E Butler Rd, Mauldin, SC 29662.

ALL PARKING IS FREE

We recommend parking at the following locations:

Mauldin Cultural Center – 101 East Butler Road

Mauldin City Hall – 5 East Butler Road

Mauldin Sports Center – 10 City Center Drive

Mauldin Methodist Church (Friday only) – 100 East Butler Road

General Event Information

Want to know what to expect before you get here?

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 will be required. Wristbands may be obtained at the ticket tents and are free of charge.
Smoking is prohibited.
Weapons are prohibited.
Skateboards, scooters, hoverboards and bicycles are prohibited
Dogs are allowed on leash. Please carry disposable bags to pick up any pet droppings.

THE FOOD

Friday | Anything Butt Competition

ANYTHING BUTT COMPETITION

Friday, September 11, 2026 | 6 – 9 p.m.

To get the Cookers warmed up, we kick off with an “Anything Butt” competition! Participating Cookers will serve a dish/item of their choosing to pique your tastebuds. Everything is on the table with this competition – everything BUT their BBQ. Sliders? Maybe. Grilled Vegetable Medley? Why not. Grilled Chicken? Sounds good. Smoked Cobbler? Now we’re talking. Food will be available from 6 p.m. until it runs out. Our panel of guest judges will pick their favorite item and give them a special award during Saturday’s award ceremony. Ticket sales end at 8 p.m. – all food is served while supplies last!

All items are priced $2-6/serving. BBQ Teams set their own price.
Teams may only accept event taste tickets. Tickets can be purchased at one of the Ticket Booths.
Tickets purchased for Anything Butt on Friday are also valid for Saturday’s BBQ Cook-Off and may be used at food trucks.
Drinks and alcohol are $1-6 – paid directly to beverage provider, they do not accept tickets
Items may contain certain allergens (nuts, wheat products, milk, etc). Check with each Team before purchasing.
Pace yourself! Every BBQ Team participates, so there is a lot of food to sample!

Check out our vendor tab to see other participating food trucks

Saturday | Mauldin BBQ Cook-off

Saturday, September 12, 2026 | 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The main event takes place all day on Saturday. Tasting Tickets allow you to sample pulled pork from the cookers of your choosing (each taste is 2 oz. of pure pork goodness, 1 ticket=1 sample). Remember to vote for your favorite — the Cooker who wins “People’s Choice” receives a special prize! This event is judged by the SC BBQ Association. Awards are presented at 2:15 p.m. Ticket sales end at 1 p.m. – all food is served while supplies last!

$5 for sheet of (5) tickets
1 ticket = 1 BBQ tasting (or $1 at food trucks)
Drinks and alcohol are $1-6 – paid directly to beverage provider, they do not accept tickets
Tickets can be used for tastings and food trucks on Saturday.

Check out our vendor tab to see other participating food trucks

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 and beverages are prohibited, and this is a smoke-free event.

Chris Taylor and The Rumor | Friday, September 12 | 6 – 9 p.m.

“Rock, Soul & EVERYTHING mama warned ya about”…. Chris Taylor & the Rumor brings an authentic blend of the hits you know and love mixed with hot, new originals, such as “I Know the Way” and “Dangerous,” that are sure to get you on your feet and rockin’ along ALL NIGHT LONG!

Chris Taylor, frontman and guitar superstar is no stranger to the bright lights, having played for legendary drummers such as Hall of Fame Inductee Carmine Appice (Ozzy Osbourne, Vanilla Fudge, and Rod Stewart), Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath and Dio), and Gary Greene, of the Grammy award winning band Hootie and the Blowfish. Chris has also shared the stage with musical icons, opening/direct support for Ratt, Winger, Firehouse, KC & the Sunshine Band, Edwin McCain, and Chris Stapleton to name a few. Most recently, he is featured in the music video and re-release of, “Somewhere” with none other than 80s pop icon, Rick Springfield.

BACKYARD OASIS

Firepits • Hammock • Relaxation Area

The Backyard O-Ace-Is is open Friday and Saturday

All activities are FREE!

KIDS ZONE

Face Painting • Balloon Twisting • Magician • Inflatables

The Kids Zone is open Friday and Saturday

All activities are free!

Thank you to our 2026 sponsors!

Presenting Sponsor:

Promoter Sponsors:

Blue Cross Blue Shield South Carolina

Joyce Factory Direct

Renewal By Andersen

2026 SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

This weekend event brings more than 2,000 attendees to the Mauldin Outdoor Amphitheater. Depending on your sponsorship level, you could be earning $40K+ in media presence, brand recognition at events, and complimentary tasting tickets by sponsoring the Sooie. BBQ Cook-off.

Interested? Drop us a line at [email protected] or call us at 864.335.4862.

FOOD & MARKET VENDORS

Blood Drive on Saturday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Donate blood and receive a $40 e-gift card! Pre-register 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. Just a few rules/regulations:

Each date has one shift – Please sign up for only one position as you can only do one job at a time. If you want to volunteer for both Friday and Saturday, make sure to sign up for your desired position both dates.
Volunteers must be high school age or older. Some positions are only for those age 16+ or 21+. Middle school students may partner with a parent/adult to volunteer.
Please read the position descriptions to ensure you are comfortable with the position requirements (ie: operating iPad, cash handling, etc.)

Volunteers will receive a bbq volunteer t-shirt to wear and 10 tasting tickets each!

2026 TEAM REGISTRATION

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 $200 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 Manager can fill the empty slot with another cook team.

2026 Cooker Packet – Mauldin BBQ