Cherokee Tribune – Pig out at barbecue contest this weekend

October 11, 2011 CANTON — Barbecue lovers, get your appetites ready. The fourth annual Cherokee Pignic, a Cherokee Chamber of Commerce barbecue competition, is back once again at Heritage Park in Canton this weekend.

The fun kicks of at 4 p.m. on Friday with a Family Fun Night theme. Regular admission is $5 and children wearing costumes who are ages 10 and younger get in free. Kids three and younger are free, even without a costume. Prizes will be awarded for kids with the spookiest or silliest Halloween ensembles.

“Film on the Farm” starts at 7 p.m., which is a movie showing that is new to the event this year. The movie “Rio” will be projected for families to enjoy. Gates will be closed to the public at 10 p.m.

Also new this year is the Fun on the Farm display, a showcase of different types of vehicles from John Deere and Cycle Nation in Canton, as well as a variety of Jeeps, ATVs, and antique tractors.

Guests are invited to come back Saturday, when gates open at 10 a.m., to see a variety of entertainment on the Nationwide Insurance Stage, including bluegrass and country music artists and a performance by a clogging group. Games for children of all ages will keep the kids occupied until the Lick Your Lips BBQ Tasting Tent opens at 11 a.m. The tent will provide samples of barbecue until 3 p.m. (or until the meat runs out) and tickets to taste are $5 each. Tasters will have the opportunity to vote for People’s Choice Awards for the “best butt in town” to be presented alongside the official team awards at 5 p.m. Closing ceremonies will conclude at 6 p.m.

The event is family-centered, but that doesn’t mean the barbecue competition won’t be fierce.

The barbecue competition is divided between the Backyard Burners, Cherokee Pignic’s nickname for the recreational cooking team category, and the professional teams. Both categories are currently maxed out for the event with 24 amateur teams and 49 professional teams. Pam Carnes, Cherokee Chamber of Commerce prresident and CEO, said there is a waiting list with several groups vying for another spot in the cookoff.

Two representatives from the Kansas City Barbecue Society, a nationwide nonprofit organization that sanctions more than 200 barbecue contests annually, will be judging the pro teams.

“We did our due diligence,” Carnes said of finding the right organization to preside over the barbecue competition. “We’ve had a great relationship with KCBS throughout the past years.”

Last year’s winner was Woodstock favorite William “Bubba” Latimer, owner of Bub-Ba-Q. Latimer’s restaurant has been featured on the Food Network’s “The Greatest American BBQ Showdown” and TLC’s “Pitmasters.” Bub-Ba-q also won five other Grand Champion titles at more than 25 barbecue competitions in 2010. At last year’s Cherokee Pignic, Latimer’s chicken secured his team’s first place win.

Latimer is looking forward to returning to the hometown contest and said that event organizers have done a great job taking care of the cook teams and the public each time he has attended. This year will be his fourth year competing.

“I’ve always enjoyed it,” Latimer said.

As for the competition, Latimer isn’t nervous.

“There are some great, great cooks [on the team list] that have done well over the years,” Latimer said. “We’ll go out and do our thing and hopefully we’ll be in it, but I’ll say we’re definitely not intimidated.”

Ball Ground-based Team Comfort Zone, sponsored by Comfort Zone Heating and Air, will be competing in the Backyard Burners category. However, this team takes their ‘cue skills just as seriously as the pros. Team captain Mike Gerardy said his team placed fourth overall last year, but its looking to do better this time around.

Gerardy said that Team Comfort Zone competes in about five competitions a year. For the past two years, they have been won the grand champion title at Acworth’s Smoke on the Lake.

Gerardy used to compete professionally and still registers as a professional team at some events. He considers Cherokee Pignic a family affair, as he’ll be cooking alongside his partner Pete Warner, son-in-law Adam Enyard, and Jeff Davis, another barbecue buddy.

“Pignic took the best parts of all the other events we’ve been to,” Gerardy said. “My grandkids, daughter and wife will all be there. As they like to say, ‘no one is invited, but everyone is welcome.’”

Professional team barbecue is only tasted by the certified KCBS judges. However, the public is invited to sample Backyard Burners’ cooking fare in the sampling tent. Winners will receive Lick Your Lips People’s Choice Awards.

Also, a portion of this year’s proceeds will go to benefit Safe Kids Cherokee County.

“Cherokee Pignic is an excellent opportunity to showcase Cherokee County,” Carnes said. “It’s about people coming in to the community. It’s about an old-fashioned country fair and festival.”

by Megan Thornton
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