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Short answer: Missouri’s barbecue contests run from March on Route 66 to the State Fair in August and a run of September and October cook-offs. The most famous one, the American Royal World Series of Barbecue, is a Kansas City event now held in Kansas City, Kansas. No organizer had published a 2027 date when we checked, so each row shows when it last ran.
- 6Yearly festivalsfrom organizer pages
- 0Next date publishedas of November 4, 2026
- AugState Fair contestSedalia, during the fair
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How we checked: each festival’s own site, the Kansas City Barbeque Society’s pages, Visit Missouri, and our own events calendar. All read on November 4, 2026. Hours, prices and dates change, so confirm with the place or organizer before you drive. Anything we could not check is marked Not Confirmed where it appears. We rank nothing: no source we used ranks these places, and we did not taste, rate or compare them. Nobody paid to be listed.
Festivals by Month
Yearly Barbecue Festivals and Cook-Offs
Listed by the month they usually run. Organizer pages are linked; each date is as the organizer printed it.
- Kickin’ It Route 66 Barb Q ChallengeSt. Robert · usually MarchA City of St. Robert barbecue competition on Route 66. The 2024 page called it the 5th annual KCBS-sanctioned event, with two contests over three days and a one-meat ribs contest on Saturday. Next date: date not yet announced Not Confirmed . Last held: March 22-24, 2024 on the page we could read; a 2026 edition on March 28 appears only in a search summary of the city’s flyer Not Confirmed .
- Missouri State Fair Show-Me Tailgate ThrowdownSedalia (Missouri State Fairgrounds) · usually August, during the State FairThe State Fair’s own barbecue contest, judged outdoors east of the Mathewson Exhibition Center. The fair lists its 2027 dates as August 12-22, 2027; the 2027 contest day is not posted yet. The page names no sanctioning body. Next date: date not yet announced Not Confirmed . Last held: Friday, August 14, 2026.
- Jesse James Festival (barbecue cook-out)Kearney (Jesse James Park) · usually SeptemberThe festival’s own page lists a barbecue event among its 55th-year activities but gives no barbecue dates, rules or sanctioning body Not Confirmed Next date: date not yet announced Not Confirmed . Last held: September 12 and 18-20, 2026 (festival dates).
- Blues, Brews & BBQ FestivalFarmington (downtown, Columbia Street) · usually SeptemberA downtown festival near City Hall with blues bands, food, a barbecue contest and a VW car show; the organizer calls it family-friendly. Visit Missouri’s listing says admission is free; the organizer page shows free concerts. Next date: date not yet announced Not Confirmed . Last held: September 18-19, 2026.
- American Royal World Series of Barbecue (held in Kansas)Kansas City, Kansas (American Royal campus) · usually late September to early OctoberThe American Royal calls it “the world’s largest competition of its kind.” It is a Kansas City institution, but the venue is across the state line: its page gives 1899 American Royal Way, Kansas City, Kansas. In 2026 it was a limited on-site event for invited guests, with about 350 to 400 teams planned and no public activities except a ticketed Friday party. Next date: date not yet announced Not Confirmed . Last held: September 30 to October 4, 2026.
- Boo-B-Que BBQ ChampionshipOak Grove · usually late OctoberA two-day KCBS contest shown in the Kansas City Barbeque Society’s event results. We found no organizer page, so spectator details are not known Not Confirmed Next date: date not yet announced Not Confirmed . Last held: October 30 and 31, 2026 (two contests).
On Our Calendar Now
No barbecue events are on our checked calendar right now. We add them when the organizer publishes a date. The barbecue festivals page lists the yearly ones.
Festivals That Ended or Have Gone Quiet
These used to be on many lists. We do not list them above because we could not find a current edition. Springfield’s Rock’n Ribs was put on hold in 2020, per the Springfield Business Journal. Columbia’s Roots N Blues N BBQ dropped barbecue and was renamed in 2023, per Missourinet. St. Louis’s Q in the Lou site still says to stay tuned for 2023, so it looks inactive Not Confirmed The fairgrounds’ Ozarks BBQ Fest in Springfield was last listed for June 2023 on its page Not Confirmed KCBS contests at Mozingo Lake in Maryville and in Nevada were last listed in 2021 Not Confirmed
Nearby in Kansas
The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle in Lenexa, Kansas, calls itself the Kansas State Championship since 1984. It is the only barbecue contest in the metro with a 2027 date out: Friday, June 25, 2027 (4:30 to 11 p.m., $5, children 12 and under free) and Saturday, June 26, 2027 (judging, closed to the public), per the city’s page.
Who Runs The Contests
Most contests here are sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS). Its sanctioning page says it sanctions contests across the United States and worldwide, calls itself the world’s largest organization of barbecue and grilling fans, and runs the largest certified judge training program. At a KCBS Master Series contest, teams cook four meats (chicken, pork ribs, pork shoulder and brisket) over wood, pellets or charcoal; gas and electric heat are not allowed. KCBS’s founding year and member count were not on the pages we could read Not Confirmed
What We Could Not Confirm
- 2027 dates for every Missouri festival on this page: none were published when we checked. Not Confirmed
- The 2026 Route 66 Barb Q Challenge date: the city’s flyer page would not open for us; only a search summary shows March 28, 2026. Not Confirmed
- The Jesse James Festival barbecue contest’s dates and sanctioning: not on the festival’s own page. Not Confirmed
- West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque in Kansas City (May 2026): the only page with dates looked unofficial, so we left it off. Not Confirmed
- Whether the Ozarks BBQ Fest, the Mozingo Lake contest and the Nevada contest still run. Not Confirmed
- Whether each festival is held every year in the month we give: for most we saw one or two editions. Not Confirmed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the American Royal barbecue contest in Missouri?
No, not now. The American Royal is a Kansas City organization, but its 2026 World Series of Barbecue was on its campus at 1899 American Royal Way, Kansas City, Kansas, per its own page. In 2026 it was open to invited guests only.
When is the Missouri State Fair barbecue contest?
During the fair in August. In 2026 it was Friday, August 14. The fair lists August 12-22, 2027; the contest day for 2027 is not posted yet.
What is KCBS?
The Kansas City Barbeque Society. Its sanctioning page says it sanctions barbecue contests across the United States and worldwide and trains certified judges.
More Barbecue Pages
Sources
- American Royal, World Series of Barbecue, read November 4, 2026 (2026 dates and venue)
- American Royal, BBQ, read November 4, 2026
- Kansas City Barbeque Society, sanctioning information, read November 4, 2026
- Kansas City Barbeque Society, home page event results, read November 4, 2026 (Oak Grove)
- Missouri State Fair, Show-Me Tailgate Throwdown, read November 4, 2026
- Jesse James Festival, read November 4, 2026
- Discover Farmington, Blues, Brews & BBQ, read November 4, 2026
- Visit Missouri, Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival, read November 4, 2026 (admission)
- Visit Pulaski County, Kickin’ It Route 66 Barb Q Challenge, read November 4, 2026
- City of Lenexa, Great Lenexa BBQ Battle, read November 4, 2026
- Springfield Business Journal, Rock’n Ribs on hold (2020), read November 4, 2026
- Missourinet, Roots N Blues, read November 4, 2026
- Q in the Lou, read November 4, 2026
- Ozark Empire Fair, Ozarks BBQ Fest, read November 4, 2026
How we check: editorial standards. Spot a mistake or a closure? Tell us.
Cite this page: It's Missouri, “Missouri Barbecue Festivals and Contests”, itsmissouri.com/barbecue/festivals/ (updated ). By the It's Missouri editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.