Wise to Be in Wise Again

The Inn at Wise, a stately three-story hotel built in 1910 that is on the National Register of Historic Places, is the perfect center for a barbecue cookoff. Judging in Wise, Virginia, was a great experience again as it was last year because Chillin’ and Grillin’ in the Glades is such a well-organized KCBS-sanctioned contest.

The Inn at Wise is the center for all barbecue activities in July.

Having been in Wise last year, I knew the contest and its arrangements. Music is a big part of the event with entertainers on both days, but judges have to miss performances in the middle of the day when judging occurs. In addition, because judging is “blind” and judging activities extend for several hours, judges miss seeing other street scenes, including the final steps by cooking teams as they prepare their entries.

Wolf's Revenge, a popular team that placed third in the pork category, hands out Scotch eggs (although judges aren't influenced by the kind welcome because judging is "blind"—which team prepares an entry is not known).

Old Virginia Smoke gives samples of burnt ends.

This year I was fortunate to see two special activities. When I arrived, Wolf’s Revenge, one of the top cooking teams, was outside the inn to give Scotch eggs—hard-boiled eggs wrapped in baked sausage—to judges as they entered. In addition, when I left the Inn at Wise after the contest had ended, Old Virginia Smoke, the team that finished third in the brisket category, was giving samples of burnt ends—the best of brisket—to passersby on the street.

Many top and prominent teams from the region were among the 27 teams (two fewer than last year) that competed. The winning team was Rocky Top Barbeque. Second place (reserve champion) was won by Muttley Crew BBQ of Apex, NC. At the table where I judged, two meats—chicken and ribs—were exceptionally superior.

Cooking teams set up on Main Street in downtown Wise.

Part of the pleasure of judging in Wise is how kindly the judges are treated by the contest organizers. Before the meat turn-ins began, a drawing for several gifts—trail passes, T-shirts, BBQ sauces, and other souvenirs—was held. Because my lucky ticket was picked, I won a bottle of local wine. Mountain Rose Vineyard, only six miles from downtown, has converted land mined for coal into a lush vineyard, and I got to take its best red wine home with me.

My prize for having a lucky ticket.

Because the contest organizers decided this year to reserve one-fourth of the judge seats for judges who had not been to Wise before (a smart decision to build interest and possibly create a larger pool of judge applicants for future years), I was initially “waitlisted” for this contest. However, as additional registrations of cooking teams were received, more judges were needed, including me.

Judges relax in the inn's conference room before the contest begins.

I feel fortunate to judge again in Wise. Because the contest is so well-organized and judges are treated so generously, I hope to return again.

Trophies are ready for the winning teams.

A Cookoff with a Mission in Richmond, Virginia

Barbecue cookoffs are always good times with fun activities so that everyone has an enjoyable experience. Some contests also contribute to an important community cause or local charity, and sometimes an organization conducts an event to promote a greater awareness of its role in a community as well as to raise needed funds.

Signs at the fest promote recovery from the disease of addiction.

With the name of Recovery Fest, the contest each fall in Richmond, Virginia, lets you know that it’s about more than determining the best pitmaster. The fest was started in 2005 to increase the awareness of substance abuse and to celebrate the recovery of individuals and families from the disease of addiction. The barbecue competition, added five years later to expand the activities of the event and broaden its appeal to the public, is the most socially conscious cookoff that I have attended as a judge. Its motto – Smokin’ Meat … Not Drugs –emphasizes the importance of recovery.

Cooking teams set up on the campus of Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church.

The fest and cookoff is organized annually by the McShin Foundation, which helps individuals and their families fight substance abuse disorders. The foundation is housed in Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church, and cooking teams set up on the church’s campus. During the fest, state agencies, supporting nonprofits, and families share resources at kiosks and popup tents, musicians play at a central stage, children activities entertain the young, and vendors sell food. Although the atmosphere is quite lively and spirited, the cooking teams and judges go about their serious business typical of a contest sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

With rain in the forecast, musicians perform under a huge tent.

This year the cookoff attracted 29 teams, a smaller turnout than the 35 teams that competed last year. The McShin Foundation even entered its own team, but the results show that the experience of teams competing regularly have a clear advantage. For example, the grand champion (Sauce This BBQ) and reserve champion (Rockin Robyns BBQ) of last year’s contest placed again in the top 10, although they weren’t the top two teams. This year the team Redneck Scientific took home won grand champion honors, and the team 3N1Q was reserve champion.

The team Redneck Scientific, grand champion, settles in on Friday between two other teams.

Many judges had participated in this contest in previous years. Maybe they were motivated to return to a cookoff conducted by a community organization that has such an important mission. Participating in an event that contributes to local causes is always rewarding, and I hope to be a judge again next year.

Judges relax as they arrive before their activities begin.

Chillin’ and Grillin’ in Southwest Virginia

Southwest Virginia is a great location to have a barbecue cookoff in the middle of July. On an Appalachian plateau in the lush mountains of this corner of Virginia, the town of Wise seems to enjoy unusually cool breezes while most of the East Coast struggles with hot summer temperatures. With daily low temperatures around 60 degrees and average temps of 72 in July, this area is the perfect place to escape the heat even when the cookers of competitive barbecue teams are smokin’ hot.

Cooking teams set up along Main Street in Wise.

The annual cookoff in Wise is Chillin’ and Grillin’ in the Glades, an appropriate name, particularly the chillin’ part. Begun in 2013 as an amateur event, the contest has grown each year, now is a three-day BBQ and music festival, and is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society. Teams compete for the title of Virginia State Champion, and 29 teams competed this year also for prize money totaling $7,500, although a few more teams had registered but were not able to participate.

Big Glades Community Square is the venue for the festival's musical performances.

All judging activities took place in The Inn at Wise, a stately three-story hotel built in 1910 that is on the National Register of Historic Places. Downtown Wise is essentially the same now as it was 100 years ago except a few buildings have been removed. For a century, the Inn served as the cultural hub of the region. It was also the birthplace of Clinch Valley College, which is now the University of Virginia’s College at Wise that serves 2,000 students.

The Inn at Wise is contest central for the cookoff.

In addition to being the scene of a barbecue cookoff in July, Wise draws tourists regularly to its area. The town is a destination on The Crooked Road, which is Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail and connects communities and venues in 19 counties of Southwest Virginia where traditional mountain music is celebrated.

The team Redneck Scientific, across the street from the historic courthouse, won the pork ribs category as well as reserve champion honors.

The hot, smoking cookers in Wise for the barbecue cookoff don’t interfere with the cool, comfortable atmosphere of the mountain town. Even as the event continues to grow, Chillin’ and Grillin’ will continue to merit both parts of its name – the perfect place to chill and grill in July.

The original desk and mahogany mail slots maintain the historic feel at The Inn at Wise.

Returning to Galax

Smoke on the Mountain in Galax, Va., is an annual favorite for cooking teams and judges. Set in the center of a small city (population only 7,000), the cookout has a venue envied by many other contests.

The last time that I was a judge for Smoke on the Mountain was in 2015. The community support for the event and the hordes of enthusiastic barbecue fans who attend continue to impress me.

Teams keep wood burning to have hot coals for when needed.

Local citizens and visitors spend a good part of the weekend walking among the cooking teams, enjoying the live music on street stages, looking over items being sold by arts and crafts vendors, and checking out sales at several antique stores.

The marquee of the historic theater in Galax promotes the barbecue cookoff.

Before the judges were required to take their seats, I joined the downtown scene and visited several vendors and stores. The most surprising find for me was to see a squash pie for sale. Although my focus for the day was barbecue, I couldn’t resist taking home a squash pie made by a 95-year-old lady who was one of the street vendors.

Judges relax before the first entries arrive for them to judge.

The judges again met on the second floor of the Chestnut Creek School of the Arts, which conducts classes in contemporary art and traditional music. Located in the historic National Bank Building, it has a gift store that features creative items made by local artists. I was particularly struck by artwork using a theme of the galax leaf. The prominence of the low-growing evergreen shrub, native to the southern Appalachian Mountains, is how Galax got its name in 1906.

The watercolor "Small Galax Leaf" by local artist Paula Melton is on display at the Chestnut Creek School of the Arts.

The cookoff occurs in Galax a month before it hosts the Old Fiddlers’ Convention, the world’s largest and oldest fiddlers’ convention. The city is known as the World Capital of Old-Time Mountain Music, a traditional American music that gave rise to bluegrass, country, rock and other styles. With its Smoke on the Mountain contest, Galax also continues to build on its reputation for excellent barbecue. In the cookoff, cooking teams compete in separate contests sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society and Memphis Barbecue Network.

A team prepares one of its entries for judging.

Smoke on the Mountain continues to be one of my favorite contests. The cool temperatures in mid-July are an added enticement to attend. Judging barbecue and enjoying the street scene are great ways to spend a Saturday in a lively small city.

Trophies for earlier cookoffs in Galax take center place among others at a competitor's site.

Improving Community Spirit

Covington is the third-least populous city in Virginia, and its population has been declining gradually since 1960 when it was more than 11,000. Because it’s now fewer than 6,000, any festival helps to improve community spirit.

Cooking teams set up on West Main Street in downtown Covington.

The economy of Covington is overwhelmingly dominated by one employer, WestRock, a corrugated packaging company. The second largest U.S. packaging company, WestRock employs about 1,300 workers. It traces its roots in Covington to 1890, when a predecessor company began operating in the city and Covington was enjoying a huge economic boom.

The large parking area behind West Main Street businesses was the scene of most festival activities.

Although the boom days are over, Covington still retains the charm of a small city in what once was the vast Appalachian wilderness that started changing in 1745 when the first settlers arrived and began claiming land. The downtown area, which includes several locally owned small businesses, was built decades ago in its prime. It looks like a movie set from the 1940s and is a historic district recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, which also lists three properties in the city as historic.

Judging took place in the council chambers of City Hall.

To draw attention to downtown businesses, the city has been sponsoring a barbecue cookoff sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society since 2014. The city’s director of finance and human resources is the event’s primary organizer and each year attracts more cooking teams and boosts interest in the event. This year, 32 teams competed for a total of $8,000 in prize money.

Billy Jim's BBQ, the team that finished the cookoff with the lowest point total, nevertheless had the most distinctive cooker.

Known as the Covington Cork & Pork Festival, the event combines a growing interest in wine tasting with the long-standing popularity of barbecue. Craft beer and wine vendors provide the “cork” component of the festival. In addition to the barbecue competition, the festival includes music performances, dance programs, children activities, and other entertainment.

Some teams set up in the parking area adjacent to City Hall.

In recognition of its dominant role in the community, WestRock is the primary supporter of the festival, and other businesses contribute as sponsors. Proceeds from the festival benefit the work of Olde Town Covington and are invested locally to support tourism and non-profit programs.

David Bryant, contest organizer and city finance director, speaks to the judges at their meeting.

With the Covington Cork & Pork Festival, city leaders have found an excellent way to continue the renovation, revitalization and improvement of their downtown area. Enjoyment of barbecue is promoting community spirit here as it does elsewhere.

Judges take the oath, administered before every contest, to be fair and impartial.

Primary streets in downtown Covington are closed for the festival.