Enquirer photo/Rebekah Martin Kayla and Kyle Mitchell eat barbecue during the ninth annual Cotton Pickin’ BBQ Cook-off.

A cotton pickin’ good time

Saturday marked the first time the Cotton Pickin’ BBQ Cook-off was open to the community.

The Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce event featured music performances, food trucks, a beer garden and children’s zone and welcomed approximately 500 people.

 

Andrea Owensby, president of the chamber, said the event was a success.

“For the first year open to the community, I am really happy,” she said. “Our vendors did well, our food trucks did well, and the band really seemed to enjoy themselves.”

The competition welcomed 28 professional teams and 33 backyard teams for the cook-off.

Madison’s Smoke Me Silly placed first in the professional category, and Thin Blue Swine placed first in the backyard category.

In years past, the event served solely as a competition. This year, Owensby said she wanted to make it a community event. “This was the first year for beer, food trucks and music. People left excited and asking what would be next,” Owensby said.

Owensby said the chamber has plans to expand on the event next year.

“This year was purposely small,” Owensby said. “I wanted to make sure everyone left successful. I feel good about where we are with it, and I am excited because there is room for growth. We are already planning next year.”

The event was opened to the community in response to requests after previous events. Owensby said opening the event allowed it to bring in tourism and increase quality of life for the community.

“Pitmasters are more tourism, and the food trucks and the fun is more quality of life,” Owensby said. “That is what these events are about.

“This is just the start. We have listened, and we want to make this event the best it can be.”

At a Glance

PowerGrid Services in Hartselle evacuated for bomb threat

Morgan County

20 under 40: Trey Chowning

Falkville

20 under 40: TJ Holmes

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Spencer Bell

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Shelby Keenum

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Rachel Howard

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Mary Virgina Halbrooks

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Maggie McKelvey

Decatur

20 under 40: Maegan Jones

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Lindsey Tapscott

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

‘He lets us have sex’: More details emerge on Hartselle man accused of child exploitation 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Hartselle church creates Easter-themed escape rooms 

Danville

Family tradition: State livestock show legacy spans generations

Editor's picks

Baseball for Beau: More than $8k raised for scholarship named after Hartselle child  

Falkville

20 under 40: Lela Weeks

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Kalleigh Thomas

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Jaime Hatcher

Hartselle

Veteran Hartselle firefighter charged with possessing child porn

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Cerrowire expansion named finalist in Business Alabama Awards  

At a Glance

Work begins on repairing two bridges over I-65 in Morgan County in coming weeks

At a Glance

Tickets for Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame banquet available

Falkville

Morgan County volunteers celebrated at annual fire department banquet 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Man jailed for stealing car from jail after earlier release 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Police: Hartselle man encouraged children to have sex inside his apartment

x