Red Dirt BBQ and Music Fest 2016

The third annual Red Dirt BBQ and Music fest was held in Tyler, Texas on May 14, 2016

Once again the BBQ and music shared the spotlight, with a strong enough line up that concert-only tickets are also made available.

New this year were a variety of craft brews to go along with Shiner and other domestics. In addition to the barbecue participants a nice selection of other booths offered up services and lots of free swag, with everything from from drink holders to key chains to toothpicks and more. Music started early on the side stage where a solo guitarist and two more bands entertained the crowd including Kopastetic which had the crowd serenading back to classic soul music.

The main stage music was kicked of by Bri Bagwell. Fellow acts Dirty River Boys, William Clark Green, Moonshine Band and headliners The Turnpike Troubadours impressed the crowd late into the night.

One interesting thing at a barbecue festival is the variety of equipment that is brought by the barbecue joints. pits by Bewley, Klose, custom offsets, and more like Buzzy Hughes’ custom hand-hammered upright kept the meats coming throughout the day.

It’s easy to get brisket burnout at a fest if the vast majority offer essentially the same item so it’s a nice change of pace when alternative options are executed well, and there were many options this year outside of the norm for Texas: Pastrami from Reogels Barbecue Co., bacon burnt ends from Heim Barbecue, tri tip from MIller’s Smokehouse, Big Red glazed ribs, and bone-in prime rib from Lockhart Smokehouse were just a few of the less traditional items served up along with great brisket, pork ribs, beef rib, and sausage served by others.

It also seemed to me there were more baby back ribs than usual, and every one I tried was tasty.

Gratitude goes to Chase Colston, the volunteers, staff, barbecue joints, and vendors which made the event a success.

-BBQ Bryan

BBQ Participants:

BBQ on the Brazos
Bet the House BBQ
Black’s Barbecue
Bodacious Bar-B-Q
Buzzie’s BBQ
Country Tavern
Freedmen’s Bar
Heim Barbecue
Hutchins BBQ
Kreuz Market
Lockhart Smokehouse
Louie Mueller BBQ
Meat Church
Micklethwait Craft Meats
Miller’s Smokehouse
Roegels Barbecue Co.
Schmidt Family Barbecue
The Slow Bone
Stanley’s Famous BBQ
Stiles Switch Barbecue

Red Dirt organizer Chase Colston welcomes the first General Admission guests

This guy next leveled even myself, he pre-printed labels for each participating barbecue joint for accurate records!

Great ribs from Schmidt Family Barbecue

Baby back ribs from Country Tavern

Tri Tip, Jalapeno cheese sausage, and turkey from Miller’s Smokehouse

Stiles Switch beef rib and sausage slider

Meat Church’s pulled pork tacos with Alabama slaw. They also had beef ribs, burnt ends, and brisket sliders!

Fourth generation pitmaster Barrett Black slices brisket while an image of great grandfather Edgar Black Sr. watches over him.

Russell Roegel chomps down on a chicken wing from Heim Barbecue

Sinfully delicious bacon burnt end from Heim Barbecue shares the boat with sausage

Ribs and sausage from Black’s Barbecue

Marco Oglesby of Schmidt Family Barbecue

Kopastetic performing on the side stage

Slow Bone’s offering was a brisket slider with jalapeno pimento cheese topped with chimichurri

Classic beef rib and jalapeno sausage from Louie Mueller

Freedmen’s Barbecue glazed their ribs with Big Red for a unique taste and incredible color

Ribs on the pit at Freedmen’s Barbecue booth

Remnants of beef ribs from Stiles Switch

Meat Fight, which raises money for the National MS Society, informed guests and let you “spin the swag wheel”, I won a cool Meat Fight Christmas ornament