Truman Heritage Festival Barbecue Championship: The Results Are In, and They Are Delicious

May 10, 2012

This past weekend marked the First Annual Truman Heritage Festival Barbecue Championship, sponsored by the City of Grandview and Mid-Continent Public Library. This was a Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned event and drew 26 teams from across the metro area and from as far away as Arkansas. Teams were tasked with smoking up their best chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket and submitting the best of their best to the panel of judges, including Kansas City Chiefs legend and barbecue connoisseur Bobby Bell. The results of the Championship were:

• Grand Champion: Burnt Finger BBQ
• Reserve Champion: Pit Pyros
• 1st Place Chicken: Burnt Finger BBQ
• 1st Place Ribs: Uncle Bo’s BBQ
• 1st Place Pork: Big O’s BBQ
• 1st Place Brisket: Burnt Finger BBQ

But the teams weren't the only ones to benefit from the competition. The Buck-a-Bone ticket sales raised over $500 for MCPL's Summer Reading Program, and the public got to sample some excellent barbecue. To get a feel for the work that the competitors put in to create delicious barbecue, check out this slide show:

There was much more to the Truman Heritage Festival than just BBQ, though. Our very own MCPL Book Cart Drill Team earned a Third Place Ribbon (and $75) for Best Theme Representation by a Business in the Truman Heritage Festival Parade.

Here's parade participant and MCPL-Grandview page extraordinaire Erika with the coveted ribbon and prize certificate. All those years shelving books really pays off!

Make sure and mark your calendar NOW for next year's Truman Heritage Festival and Barbecue Championship. It's going to be even bigger and better next year.

Stocking up on moistened hand wipes,

Jeff D.
Grandview Branch