With a couple of glitches like a light sprinkle of rain and a transformer mishap at Partin Park, the 11th Annual The Real Squeal BBQ and Music Festival was a success this past weekend.
The park was abuzz with festival goers and the smell of barbecue and music drifted throughout the town. At 4:00, the winners in various competitions were named.
In the Backyard/Amateur division, the overall winner was Backwoods BBQ. Teammates Donnie Spires of Helena, and Daniel Singletary of Cairo took the cash prize and braggin' rights. The team has competed for several years, and say they are already looking forward to next year's event.
In the Professional category, first-time competitors at The Real Squeal, Who Cares BBQ from just north of Ashville, NC, claimed the top prize. Donald Cook said COVID-19 has basically shut down all competitions in North Carolina, and he decided to bring his team to Lyons for The Real Squeal. Cook said there's a special camaraderie between BBQ professional teams, and that was proven this weekend, leaving a positive opinion not just of his fellow competitors, but of The Real Squeal and the people of Lyons, too. He vowed he will be back next year for the 12th Annual The Real Squeal BBQ and Music Festival in Lyons.
The full report on the placement of teams as judged by the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) will be found as soon as they are certified at www.therealsqueal.com.