45th annual BBQ Fest on the Neuse draws competition and crowds to Kinston riverfront

Downtown Kinston gave over its riverfront to barbecue, music and family activities May 1-2 as the 45th annual BBQ Fest on the Neuse drew the region back to the water's edge. The festival stretched along the Neuse River corridor from Pearson Park to Queen Street, with its center at 100 N. Heritage Street.

"This festival isn't just about great barbecue—it's about community, tradition, and bringing people together," Waylon Adams, Board Chair of BBQ Fest on the Neuse, said.

BBQ Fest began in 1981 as the Hog Happenin' BBQ cook-off, a modest hog-cooking contest with about 10 cooks in a warehouse south of town. Over four and a half decades, that warehouse gathering became the downtown riverfront festival that now defines it. This year, 102 cook teams competed, including 40 professional teams and 47 backyard teams in the Hog Happenin' whole-hog cook-off, alongside teams in other categories. More than 150 vendors joined a schedule that included live music, carnival rides, Kid's Fest, car and bike shows, a BMX stunt show, dance demonstrations, and a wine, beer and spirits garden.

"This is shaping up to be the biggest BBQ Fest on the Neuse we've ever had," Jan Parson, Director of BBQ Fest on the Neuse, said.

"We actually increase our whole county population for two days because of this event," Tammy Kelly, BBQ Fest on the Neuse Committee, said.

The festival's longevity stems from its roots in two defining regional elements: the Neuse River that connects Wayne and Lenoir county communities, and the BBQ tradition that runs deep in regional food culture. By filling the riverfront between Pearson Park and Queen Street, the festival makes its own case for public use of downtown and the water's edge—not simply as places to pass through or look at from afar.

Multiple downtown Kinston street closures were in place from 1 a.m. Friday, May 1, until 11 p.m. Saturday, May 2, affecting segments of Heritage, Mitchell, French's Lane, North, Gordon, Caswell and King Streets. Festival hours were 5-10 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday. Admission was free, though food and goods were sold by local businesses and vendors.

At the heart of the two-day gathering was the Hog Happenin' whole-hog cook-off, with teams cooking through the night from Friday into Saturday.

"Actual cook competition starts on Friday night and they cook all night long. We've been doing this for many, many years, and it is a good time, one of our biggest festivals here. It's a good time, an annual event for our community to come together with fellowship and give back to our community. So we love it," Tonya Adams, a festival volunteer for 15 years, said.

Wicked Pig, led by cook Billy John Narron, won first place in the professional division product quality contest and also won the Sauce Boss award. The professional division's first-place product quality winner received $500, while the Sauce Boss award included a $300 prize. Mr. Curly's Que Crew, led by Andy Harrison, took second place in the professional division product quality contest, and Grilling Palms, led by David Hoffman, finished third. Boo's BBQ, led by Randall White, won the Natural Source award in the professional division.

In the backyard division, Johnny Mac Wells Smokehouse, led by cook Nathan Cornish, won first place in the product quality contest. The backyard division's first-place winner received $300. In-laws and Outlaws, led by Brett McHenry, won second place, while Pork Stars, led by Susan Harper, placed third.

Country artist Dylan Schneider performed Friday at 8:30 p.m. on the Heritage Street stage. Even under gloomy, overcast skies Saturday, crowds continued to gather downtown.

After 45 years, BBQ Fest on the Neuse endures because it is built around what already defines the place: the river that connects these communities and the whole-hog tradition rooted in them. Its annual return reaffirms that downtown Kinston and the riverfront belong to the people who live here—proof that a festival grounded in genuine place identity can anchor community life across generations.