This past weekend was The Sonny’s Smokin’ Showdown BBQ competition, bringing attention to Central Florida as a BBQ enthusiast destination as Top-Nations Pit-masters (by invitation only) come and put their skills to the test.
The event’s General Admission is 5$ and free for kids 10 and under. Parking was also free with an extended lot away from the Zoo that had shuttles running back and forth every 15 minutes.
Here was the full day’s Event Schedule for Sonny’s Smokin Showdown:
7:30 AM
Judges Check-In
8:30 AM
Judges Meeting (Mandatory)
12:00 PM
Kid’s Donut Eating Contest
12:30 PM
Cooking Demo
1:00 PM
Rib Eating Contest
1:30 PM
Cooking Demo
2:30 PM
Meet the Masters
3:00 PM
Live Music: Hayfire
5:00 PM
Live Music: Rockit Fly
6:00 PM
Awards Ceremony
7:15 PM
Live Music: Jill’s Cashbox
8:30 PM
Live Music: Frankie Ballard
As you can see the entire day is filled with family-fun activities as well as entrees to be purchased a la carte from local vendors.
There was a designated kid’s area so you won’t have to worry about the young ones getting bored while you chomp away!
The lines will get pretty long so I’d get there early so you would beat the rush.
There are a lot of different price points but pretty much everything is affordable so you’re not breaking the bank to get full.
All the Pit-Masters were hard at work keeping up with the crowd’s appetite & making sure everything is fresh and tasty! Here’s a list of the 2017 competitors:
Swineholio
Mcadoo Heights BBQ
Accutech BBQ
Lo’ -N- Slo’ BBQ
Panther Creek COOKers
High i Que
The Smoking Hills
Big Show Cookin’ Team
Wolf’s Revenge BBQ
Lucky’s Q
INHOGNITO
Road Crew BBQ
Lang BBQ smokers
Honky Tonk Smokers
Sauced! BBQ
Sweet Smoke Q
Smoke This
The Pit Crew, Ga
Big Ugly’s BBQ
Czech Cherokee
Top choice BBQ
Team Unknown BBQ
Holy Smokes
Swamp Boys
Budmeisters bbq team
Uncle Kenny”s BBQ
Smokin’ Hoggz BBQ
Buckshot BBQ
Victory Lane BBQ
Serial Griller
Checkered Pig
Hot Wachula’s
Real South BBQ
All In Que
Smoking Butt Heads
Helping U BBQ
Hot Mess BBQ
Iowa’s Smokey D’s BBQ
Quetopia
big daddy Q
Balch’s Blazin bbq
Smokin’ Lonestar
Oklahoma Joe’s Serious Que
One Man Pits
The invitations-only competitors battled it out in different meat categories such as ribs, chicken, brisket etc.. as well as a bonus mystery meat category ( which did not count in overall scores).
Among the competitiors, Cajun Blaze Competition BBQ took home the Grand Championship as well as $20,000 out of $68,000.
A huge congratulations to the team!
There are tons of other vendors for you to peruse around and check out the merchandise booths.
Overall it was definitely a fun-filled day that was meant to bring every BBQ lovers to central Florida. Make sure to catch the event next year!
Catch more scenes from the event on Sonny’s Smoking Showdown Invitational.
