LEXINGTON, N.C. — Get your appetites ready! There is less than a week to prepare for the 39th annual Lexington Barbecue Festival.
The event goes down this weekend in uptown Lexington and there will be more than 300 businesses and vendors selling their items, as well as tons of entertainment and contests.
Jason Hayes, the Mayor of Lexington, said he's excited to welcome more than 100,000 visitors who are expected to attend the event.
"Barbecue is ingrained into everyone that grows up here, and folks that come here from all over to experience it," Hayes said. "The flavor, the uniqueness, and I won't get into East vs West vs anything, but I love Lexington barbecue."
Mayor Hayes said last year was the first year back, after a two-year hiatus from the pandemic, but he anticipates this year to be bigger and better.
Hayes said the city started planning as soon as last year's festival ended.
The businesses that are cooking up the flavor are in full preparation mode. Michael Conrad is the owner of the Barbecue Center. He said he has been a part of the festival since it began, 39 years ago.
His restaurant, along with Stameys, Speedy's, and Smokey Joe's barbecue, each prepares 2,000 pounds of cooked meat.
Conrad said he cooks an additional 2,000 pounds for his restaurant, because of the business the festival brings in.
While it might look like the competing businesses are going head to head with their cooking, Conrad said it's just like bringing the family together.
"We work together this day and then people don't understand that we'd get together behind the scenes the rest of the year helping each other out, so it's not a competition, we all have our business, and we're just a big family," Conrad shared.
Take note the sandwich you get at the event might look similar, but the flavor will be different based on the time you go. That's because each Barbecue joint has its own sauce on what they are serving.
The barbecue festival starts Saturday at 8:30 a.m., with BBQ tents opening around 10 a.m.