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It’s BBQ time in Dillon again

Erica Marciniecsummit daily news

The Krystal 93 BBQ at the Summit returns this weekend to downtown Dillon, where vendors engage in a showdown with their best slow-cooked ribs, chicken, beef and pork, among other dishes. The festival runs today and Saturday and features barbecue samples visitors can purchase with BBQ bucks obtained onsite, in addition to free live music. Sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, the cook-off takes place in four categories – pork shoulder or pork butt, beef brisket, chicken and pork ribs, said Doug Pierce, owner of Bonnie Q BBQ, voted best barbecue in Summit last year.”The four categories lead to points for grand champion (first) and reserve grand champion (second),” Pierce said, and the top 10 finishers in each category get called to the podium. There are also open categories including sauce, salsa, dessert, side dish, potato salad and Kid’s Q. Though these contests don’t count toward the championship, they are popular “for fun and bragging rights,” Pierce said. Last year’s grand champion was Burnin’ Bob’s Butts N Bones, with Buffalo’s BBQ taking the reserve title. Bonnie Q BBQ has taken part in the Krystal 93 BBQ at the Summit since the event’s start in 2005 and the Frisco BBQ Challenge for the past two decades. Other local teams include Smiling Moose Deli, Mountain Lyon Extreme Caterers and 1-2 BBQ. “We are expecting around 60 teams this year with around 30 vendors which include the typical funnel cakes, berry kabobs, cotton candy, snow cones, nuts, etc.,” said Betty Naftz, past Rotary president and co-chair of the annual barbecue.Family-friendly festival features include the Widow Maker bull ride, bouncy toys and WOW Bubbles, where kids climb inside a plastic ball and maneuver it around a small pool. The Kids’ Q barbecue competition is a highlight of the festival. “All the little kids of all the cooking families go out there and compete,” Pierce said. “The Kids’ Q is really cute.”

Music starts at 1 p.m. today with local favorites the Luv Brothers, followed by The Grinz from 4-6 p.m. Headliner Harper and the Midwest Kind, described as an amalgamation of blues, rock, funk, soul and world music, plays at 7 tonight. The Australian singer-songwriter Harper uses instruments including the harp and didgeridoo to create “a heady mix of roots music.” The festivities start up again at 10 a.m. Saturday. At noon, national touring act Van Ghost takes the Climax Molybdenum Stage, with selections to include releases fresh from their new pop-rock album, “The Domino Effect.” Van Ghost vocalist Jennifer Hartswick has made guest appearances with Phish and plays trumpet in Trey Anastasio’s “solo” band. The sought-after Denver band Funkiphino takes the Dillon Amphitheatre stage Saturday night as part of the Lake Dillon Theatre Company’s Summit at the Sunset concert series.Admission to all events is free, and BBQ bucks are for sale onsite with proceeds benefiting the Summit County Rotary. The Krystal 93 BBQ at the Summit is presented by the Town of Dillon and the Rotary Club of Summit County and sponsored by a long list of local and national entities. The event is pet-free and there is a free shuttle from City Market parking lot at Dillon Ridge. “If you’ve never been to a barbecue competition, it’s a whole lot of fun. Bring your appetite and your thirst and plan on having a good time,” Pierce said.

What: Krystal 93 BBQ at the Summit Where: Downtown DillonInfo: http://www.summitrotaryevents.com or (888) 499-4499


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