BBQ and Barrels (International Bar-B-Q Festival)

Owensboro, KY · Food & Drink

When: May 7–8, 2027
Where: Downtown Owensboro, 2nd Street riverfront · Owensboro · KY
Cost: Not confirmed
Status: Approximate: based on past editions, not announced yet

Downtown Owensboro's riverfront fills with barbecue pits and bourbon tastings each May for a cook-off billed as the world's largest barbecue gathering. Teams compete over mutton and pork shoulder while stages along the Ohio River carry live music through the weekend. It has run since 1979 and was renamed BBQ and Barrels in 2023 to add the region's bourbon trail. The 2027 dates above are approximate, based on the festival's usual second-weekend-in-May slot.

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The history within reach

BBQ and Barrels (International Bar-B-Q Festival)same spot
Downtown Owensboro's riverfront fills with barbecue pits and bourbon tastings each May for a cook-off billed as the world's largest barbecue gathering.
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