Want To Help With This Year’s Barbecue Contest?
The Water Valley Area Chamber of Commerce board members will help with the barbecue contest judges training class scheduled for mid-April. The training session teaches volunteers how to judge competions like the Train Tracks Pork Attack Barbecue Contest held in conjunction with the annual carnival. The board members are (from left) Taylor Edwards, Angie Hodge, Tracey Varner, Rhonda Burchett, Randy Goodwin, Karen Turnage, Tonya Eubanks, Janet Dickey and Vickie Person.
WATER VALLEY – If you love barbecue, you can learn to be a judge in time for one of the most eagerly anticipated events at the Watermelon Carnival – the Trains Tracks Pork Attack BBQ Contest.
The competition, held during the 2022 Watermelon Carnival, included 34 teams made up of around 145 people with an additional 40 judges, four Memphis Barbecue Network (MBN) representatives and one film crew.
“I have one team that does not cook anywhere but Water Valley,” says Tonya Eubanks, chairman of the event. “They all tell me how much they love our contest, our people and our town.”
While eating is the fun part of the event for most attendees, for the competitors it is serious business. Many travel hundreds of miles, spend hours of their time and a lot of money for entry fees and supplies. This training class offered by MBN ensures competitors a fair and unbiased competition.
Judging classes will be held on Saturday, April 15, with sign-in at 8 a.m., in the Community Room of Mechanics Bank. The cost is $75 and includes lunch provided by Six Peas Catering.
Hank Vaiden with “Hank’s BBQ” and Nick Woolfolk with “New Pigs in the Sky” will be the teams cooking for the class.
Registration forms for the class are available online on the Chamber’s Facebook page and can also be picked up and returned to the Chamber office. Forms can also be faxed to Tonya at 663-234-0881 with payment by Venmo to @Tonya-Eubanks.
