Best Dam Barbecue Challenge

Welcome to the 21st Annual Best Dam Barbecue Challenge!

A Professional Barbecue Competition and Family-Fun Event

Proudly Presented by the Rotary Club of Boulder City

Since 2005, being a part of this two day fun-filled event has become a tradition not only for thousands of guests, but for our vendors and our barbecue challengers - many of whom travel in from California, Arizona, Utah and Montana to participate.

The Best Dam Barbecue Challenge is held each Memorial Day Weekend - so mark your calendars for our 2024 event on Friday, May 24th from 2pm - 10pm and Saturday, May 25th from 9am - 4pm!

This event is the primary fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Boulder City - but is FREE TO THE PUBLIC, so please come on out for one or both days and join us for all the fun!

A Nevada State Championship Event:

Up to 41 barbecue teams begin rolling in and setting up their smokers 2 days before handing in their culinary masterpieces to our panel of professionally trained barbecue judges in this Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) - sanctioned barbecue competition.

Teams tend their entries not only throughout both days of the event, but throughout the night in between in order to compete for their share of $8,500 in cash prizes (2023) that are awarded to the highest ranking entries in the four individual categories of Ribs, Pork, Brisket, and Chicken and the Overall Competition rankings.

And as if the cash, prizes and trophies weren’t incentive enough for our challengers to grill like they’ve never grilled before, the Best Dam Barbecue is a qualifier for the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue (aka “The Jack”). one of the most prestigious barbecue competitions in the world!

Award-Winning Barbecue and Delicious Festival Food:

Experience the tastiest sights, sounds, and smells of some of the best barbecue in the country. Whether you’re craving a rack of ribs, a pulled pork sandwich, or chicken with all the fixins’, you’re sure to get your fill.

Sample just a few from our selected barbecue vendor booths. or for the brave of heart with the emptiest of stomachs. try them all!

What is a holiday weekend event without taking the time to enjoy all your favorite icy beverages?! Cool off with a frothy draft Budweiser beer or icy lemonade! And don’t forget all of your favorite festival foods, including shaved ice, fresh kettle korn, nachos, roasted corn on the cob and funnel cakes smothered in berries and whipped cream. Whatever your guilty pleasure - enjoy it while you stroll through the Best Dam Car Show, the Marketplace, the Pro Barbecue Team booths or in the Family Fun Zone!

Marketplace Vendors:

We are pleased to announce the return of Marketplace Booths to the Best Dam Barbecue Challenge event this year.

Our Marketplace booths will be located in the center of the event .  Bicentennial Park. From glitter tattoos and fashion wear to barbecue tool and products, the Marketplace features a wide varity of vendors showcasing their products for you to see, taste, try and buy!

Best Dam Car Show:

From mild to wild, shiny to grungy, antiques to classics. countless participants from around the entire Las Vegas valley will come together for the return of the Annual Best Dam Car Show at this year’s Barbecue Challenge!

Every year, we expand the car show into a bigger and better event than it has ever been before. it will be something not to be missed!  With cars from the early 1900′s to the latest hot cars of today, the Best Dam Car Show attracts those who like to show their cars and those who want to buy or sell the ‘iron’ they own or want. The show will have fully restored classics and wild customs of every sort. it’s a lot of fun to see what our participants have been able to do with the ‘ol grocery-getter!

Come out to Boulder City on Memorial Day Weekend to see Bowties, Blue Ovals, HorseFeathers, T’s and lowboys. and even a plastic ground pounder from time to time. There will be several ‘Vettes, and a Corvair or two. this event has lots of fun, plenty of chrome and every color of the rainbow. Heck, we might even have a few hogs to show ya. besides the ones on the grills!

Musical Entertainment:

Come enjoy “Live Entertainment” with varying musical performances throughout the event. Friday afternoon will kick off with music starting at 2:30pm throughout the day until 10:00pm.

Bring the family, grab a blanket and some chairs, find a shady spot underneath a tree in the park, and plan to enjoy your day, then dance the night away!

The Annual KidsQue Grilling Lesson & Competition:

Just ask our Challenge Competitors. it’s NEVER too early to learn how to grill the best barbecue this side of the Mason-Dixon line! An extremely popular event that began in 2010, the Annual KidsQue Challenge is for the fun and advancement of barbecuing skills for kids from 6 to 17 years of age.

Because we want all of the kids to have a fun and safe experience, the KidsQue Challenge is divided into two distinct age groups (ages 6 - 12 and ages 13 - 17) and challengers with all levels of cooking experience (from beginners to old pros) are encouraged to participate on teams of up to 2 kids.

We award cash prizes and medals for First, Second and Third places, so we invite and encourage you and your kids to come and be a part of this fun event

Annual Best Dam Rib-Eating Contest:

Game On!!!  The annual Best Dam Rib Eating Contest is always a huge success. and a fabulousy messy one!

Special guests will compete to see who can consume the most amount of ribs as quickly as humanly possible. with the fastest eater being declared the contest winner.

Come join us to cheer them on and see who will be our next champion!

Admission: Free