2014 Beat the Heat BBQ

Like many small towns in the USA, the towns of the San Luis Valley have several festivals throughout the summer.  It’s so darn COLD during the winter where you have to stay in a lot, come spring and summer and everyone wants to be outside as much as they can.

I’ve written about Miner Days in Creede and Logger Days in South Fork, well Alamosa has three big summer events.  First is Summerfest on the Rio the first weekend of June with arts and craft booths and a lot of live music.  Next is Beat the Heat BBQ held in August, and is a sanctioned barbecue competition with some nationally ranked teams.  The third festival is the Early Iron Car Show on Labor Day weekend.  So happy Jim entered his 1964 El Camino to show!!!

Yesterday we attended the Beat the Heat BBQ with Heinz and Angela.  This is only the second year of this event with last year having 17 teams entered.  This year there was 30 teams on the field at Cole Park. 

Of the 30 teams there were 14 that entered the People’s Choice Award giving out samples of their pulled pork entries for $2 for about two ounces.  That was plenty for all four of us to sample each entry.  We tried all 14 and differed on who was the best. 

The rigs were all very different from a small home-style pit to big expensive custom-made pits.

My favorite presentation booth was this one-small pit with a very real message….very clever.

Jim found one of the competitors was someone he knew “back in the day” who was a fulltime RV for a while and now lives in Florence, Colorado.

 

Besides the barbecue there was a beer garden, Blue Bell ice cream, roasted corn and even someone roasting green chile….this was the first weekend we’ve seen green chiles being roasted….that is the best smell ever!  Makes you want to go get a burger to put under a big thick roasted green chile!!!

 

 

I like this photo of Jim, Heinz and Angela.

 

 

 

 

We went back later in the afternoon to hear the results.

The hometown boy-Woody’s Q Shack-won the People’s Choice Award

All the “big boys” won the various meat competitions, but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and several said they would return next year.

 

After the results there was a chile eating contest.  It started out with four contestants which included a 16 year old girl.  But after an anaheim, poblano, serrano and a jalapeno the guy on the right gave up and left the stage. Then came the orange habanero.  They all ate it and were looking for more.  So they gave them another habanero…and then another….all three contestants where still in.  So then they had to go back and give them more jalapenos and then declared all three winners!

It was a nice day that we really enjoyed.

Remember, you are loved.