bbq

Photo courtesy of The Queen Mary.

The Queen Mary announced Tuesday that its fifth annual West Coast BBQ Classic (WCBC) is set to take place on Saturday, May 14 from 11:00AM to 6:00PM.

Barbecue aficionados, amateur grill masters, and of course, barbecue fans and foodies of all kinds are invited for a “finger lickin’ afternoon full of barbecue grillin.’” Grill gurus and those still perfecting their fine craft will put their skills to the test during the annual classic showdown.

“The West Coast BBQ Classic is an event we look forward to all year long,” said Steve Sheldon, director of Entertainment Events at The Queen Mary. “The competition is fierce but friendly and there is so much amazing food and entertainment to enjoy that it makes for a full day of finger-licking fun.”

The WCBC will feature various BBQ styles from across the country, including slow-cooked hickory barbeque from Texas and southern Memphis-style barbeque, according to the announcement. The competition is an official California-State-Certified, KCBS-Sanctioned, BBQ Championship.

Southern California’s most accomplished Champion Pitmasters will compete for high stakes with the $10,500 cash prize in mind as well as the longed-for title of West Coast BBQ Pitmaster Champion.

The West Coast BBQ Classic has something for everyone with drool-worthy BBQ samples for a mere $2 each, live music, backyard games, watermelon or cobbler eating contests and a merchant market, alongside live entertainment provided by country sensation, Scotty Mac Band. Children are invited to Kids Country featuring games, a bounce house, face painters and potato sack races geared toward young BBQ fans.

“We will have more grill masters participating in our People’s Choice category than ever before, which can only mean one thing – more food!” said Sheldon. “Guests will be treated to a full day of live entertainment, games, eating contests and complimentary same-day admission to The Queen Mary.”

For more information and to purchase tickets to the 5th annual West Coast BBQ Classic, click here.

Asia Morris is a Long Beach native covering arts and culture for the Long Beach Post. You can reach her @hugelandmass on Twitter and Instagram and at [email protected].