Amarillo’s chamber networking event comes with a useful icebreaker: barbecue. The 30th Annual Barbecue Cook-Off takes over the Tri-State Fairgrounds Thursday, October 8, with admission covering all-you-can-eat food and beverages.
The Amarillo Chamber of Commerce advertises more than 100 cooking teams for the event, which runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at 3301 SE 10th Avenue. Advance tickets cost $35 through October 7. On the day of the cook-off, the price rises to $45 online or at the gate. Children six and younger enter free with a paid adult.
The ticket covers the eating and drinking, including alcoholic beverages, rather than sending guests back to a payment line for each team’s food. It is a business networking evening with a substantial spread attached, and the chamber cautions that the crowds and alcohol make it an event geared primarily toward adults.
A barbecue ticket with room for the trimmings
Brisket and ribs help explain the name, but the variety extends well beyond the smoker. The Bull Amarillo’s October 2 preview describes chicken, sausage, jalapeño poppers, dirty rice, tacos and desserts among the team offerings. Happy State Bank’s butter-dipped corn is another familiar attraction.
That makes this an evening for a little reconnaissance before committing too much plate space. A hundred-plus teams leave plenty of room for the barbecue essentials and the side dish somebody has been quietly perfecting all year. Individual offerings vary by team.
Next to Kin is scheduled to provide live music, according to the local preview. The chamber also lists safe-ride voucher partners, including DeBault Title, Andrea’s Project and David Elizalde.
From downtown streets to the fairgrounds
The cook-off began in 1996, according to The Bull’s account of its history. Earlier editions filled the streets around the chamber’s downtown offices. In 2021, the event moved to the fairgrounds and shifted from September to October.
The larger setting gives this year’s gathering room for its teams, guests and music while preserving the chamber’s central purpose: getting local businesses together over something more inviting than a conference-room sandwich.
One rule is especially relevant to the AYCE crowd: food is to be enjoyed at the event, and to-go containers are not allowed. The $35 advance window closes October 7, a day before the grills and serving tables get their turn.
