HUNTSVILLE – A 21-year North Alabama tradition, the WhistleStop BBQ Festival, returns this month to the MidCity District.
Presented by the Apollo Coalition, the festival will be Oct. 17-18, featuring two days of music, food, and community. Weekend passes are $25 per person, or $15 for a single-day pass. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge.
The festival will fill the air with the smoke of competitive barbeque and the sounds of local talent. It features an amateur barbeque contest sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society.
More than 40 teams from across the Southeast will compete for the Grand Champion prize of $2,000 cash. The competition categories include ribs, chicken, and dessert. Registration for the dessert competition is open to the public.
Local bands will take the festival stage throughout the weekend.The music kicks off 5:30 p.m. Oct. 17 with The Envied, followed by The Michael Goldsmith Band at 7 p.m. and The Dawn Osborne Band closing out the evening at 9 p.m.
Entertainment on Oct. 18 begins at 1 p.m. with bluegrass band The Grasstronauts, followed by Bluejay and the Breeze at 2:30. Singing duo Emma Klein and Amber Schmidt will take the stage at 4:30, followed by Nashville rock band YearB4. Local favorite JUICE will close out the festival with a 90-minute set at 8:30.
WhistleStop’s general admission tickets also provide access to the Pigpen, where youngsters can enjoy activities throughout the weekend.
Tickets do not include complimentary barbeque to all attendees; however, attendees can receive free barbeque tastings by participating in the People’s Choice competitions, available while supplies last. After trying wings and pulled pork from the barbeque teams, attendees vote through a QR code available throughout the festival. People’s Choice tastings are complimentary with festival admission.
Presented for two decades by EarlyWorks Children’s Museum, this marks the Apollo Coalition’s first year running the event. The coalition is a 501(c)(3) with a mission to build community through culture and innovation.
Presenting major events at MidCity is one part of the coalition’s programming. The organization also manages NextGenHSV – a program for student engineers – and funds gener8tor Huntsville, a tech accelerator that has helped more than 60 businesses get their start in North Alabama.
“The WhistleStop BBQ Festival is a fantastic example of the Apollo Coalition’s mission brought to life,” said coalition Managing Director Joanna White. “It’s where food and music combine to showcase the creativity of our community, whether in front of a grill or on the stage.”
The gates open 4 p.m., Oct. 17, and 11 a.m. Oct. 18. Tickets are available at www.whistlestopweekend.com. Individuals interested in volunteering for the event can register on the website. Volunteers receive complimentary entry to the festival and a t-shirt, while supplies last.
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