Located in Old Historic Downtown Boulder City, Nevada – thirty minutes from the Las Vegas strip and 15 minutes from Hoover Dam – the Best Dam Barbecue is an event you don’t want to miss! Already in it’s eighth year, being a part of this two day fun-filled event has become a tradition not only for our 20,000+ guests, but for our vendors and our barbecue challengers – many of whom travel in from California, Arizona and Utah to participate. The event grows with each year as new features and attractions are added to the schedule – just a few of which are listed below!
Nevada State Barbecue Championship Team Competitions
Up to 42 barbecue teams begin rolling in and setting up their grills 2 days before handing in their culinary masterpieces to our panel of professionally trained barbecue judges in this Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) – sanctioned barbecue competition.
Teams tend their entries not only throughout both days of the event, but throughout the night in between in order to compete for their share of $10,000 in cash prizes that are awarded to the highest ranking entries in the four individual categories of Ribs, Pork, Brisket, and Chicken and the Overall Competition rankings.
And as if the cash, prizes and trophies weren’t incentive enough for our challengers to grill like they’ve never grilled before, the Best Dam Barbecue has been designated by the State of Nevada as the “Nevada State Barbecue Championship” and the Grand Champion (taking 1st Place in the Overall Competition category) is automatically qualified for the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue (aka “The Jack”)…one of the most prestigious barbecue competitions in the world!
Award-Winning Barbecue, Festival Food & Vendors
Experience the tastiest sights, sounds, and smells of some of the best barbecue in the country. Whether you’re craving a rack of ribs, a pulled pork sandwich, or chicken with all the fixins’, you’re sure to get your fill. Sample just a few from our selected barbecue vendor booths…or for the brave of heart with the emptiest of stomachs…try them all!
Cool off with a frothy draft pulled beer, an icy margarita, frozen lemonade or delicious shaved ice. Snack on your favorite festival food, including our legendary garlic fries, cotton candy, kettle korn or funnel cakes smothered in berries and whipped cream.
Whatever your guilty pleasure – enjoy it while you stroll through the entire event, located in historic Downtown Boulder City, and shop at our unique artisan booths. Or visit with our challenge competitors and then see which ones received the highest scores from our panel of professionally trained barbecue judges to win their share of $10,000 in cash!
The Family Fun Zone
What more do the kids want to do on Memorial Day weekend but slip, slide, climb and bounce the day away?
Each year, the Family Fun Zone grows in size and popularity as new features, games, and rides are added to provide safe and fun activities for the entire family.
Whether it is rolling down the slippery chutes of the giant inflatable slide, climbing to the peak of the Mountainclimbing Rock Wall, bouncing off the walls of the Giant Bounce House or taking your turn (or two or three) on the Mechanical Bull — you can be sure the Family Fun Zone will be filled with safe and fun things to do — all in an area set aside so you can allow your children to enjoy their afternoon in the park.
The Best Dam Car Show
From mild to wild, shiny to grungy, antiques to classics…countless participants from around the entire Las Vegas valley will assist come together for the return of the Annual Best Dam Car Show at this year’s Barbecue Challenge!
This year, we are expanding the car show into a bigger and better event than it has ever been before…it will be something not to be missed! With cars from the early 1900′s to the latest hot cars of today, the Best Dam Car Show attracts those who like to show their cars and those who want to buy or sell the ‘iron’ they own or want. The show will have fully restored classics and wild customs of every sort…it’s a lot of fun to see what our participants have been able to do with the ‘ol grocery-getter!
Come out to Boulder City on Memorial Day Weekend to see Bowties, Blue Ovals, HorseFeathers, T’s and lowboys…and even a plastic ground pounder from time to time. There will be several ‘Vettes, and a Corvair or two…this even has lots of fun, plenty of chrome and every color of the rainbow. Heck, we might even have a few hogs to show ya…besides the ones on the grills!
Great Musical Entertainment
From acoustic guitar performances to music that will make you want to dance the night away, come out and enjoy a wide variety of great music throughout the day and both nights of the Best Dam Barbecue Challenge.
In past years, we’ve featured a wide variety of musical entertainment – from Country/Folk artists to Rock & Roll bands and we are currently on the lookout for this year’s headlining act!
Check back here to see when we’ve found who will be providing the great musical entertainment at this year’s Best Dam Barbecue Challenge!
The Annual KidsQue Challenge
Just ask our Challenge Competitors…it’s NEVER too early to learn how to grill the best barbecue this side of the Mason-Dixon line! An extremely popular event that began in 2010, the Annual KidsQue Challenge is for the fun and advancement of barbecuing skills for kids from 6 to 17 years of age.
Because we want all of the kids to have a fun and safe experience, the KidsQue Challenge is divided into two distinct age groups (ages 6 – 12 and ages 13 – 17) and challengers with all levels of cooking experience (from beginners to old pros) are encouraged to participate on teams of up to 3 kids.
The First Place Award is $200 for each age group, plus a trophy…so we invite and encourage you and your kids to come and be a part of this fun event!
Police vs. Fire Department’s Annual Rib Eating Contest
Game On!!! Last year’s inauguration of the Best Dam Rib Eating Contest between the Boulder City Fire Department and the Boulder City Police Departmentwas a huge success…and a messy one!
A team of two members from the Fire Department and a team of two members from the Police Department were each given a full rack of ribs to consume as quickly as humanly possible…with the fastest team being declared the contest winner.
The Police Department emerged victorious in the 2011 challenge and the Fire Department had to turn over possession of the trophy until they face one another in the 2012 rematch. The scores are even with one win each…who will break the tie of victory? Come to watch this year’s Rib-Eating Contest and find out!
