22nd Frisco, Colo. Barbeque Challenge Draws Big Crowds And Big Barbecue

Now in its 22nd year, the Frisco, Colorado Barbeque Challenge has grown from its humble beginnings in a small local park to an area covering six blocks along Main Street. This town of roughly 2,000 people is located a short 90-minute ride from Denver, and during the annual event barbecue-lovers come not only from Denver but from all around the state.

Indeed, this year more than 40,000 visitors flocked to Frisco to sample some of the best barbecue the Rocky Mountain town had to offer.

More than 70 teams compete in this Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned event in various meaty categories such as chicken, ribs, pork and brisket. The winners in each category are then eligible to compete in the American Royal – the World Series of Barbeque held in Kansas City, Missouri on October 4.

Vendors arrive early in the day to start prepping and visitors can smell the smoky scents of cooking from blocks away.  Amateur and professional cooks provide hungry guests with carnivore favorites like pulled pork sandwiches, barbecue ribs with homemade sauce, giant turkey legs, and beef brisket that has been laboriously slow-cooked for hours in steel smokers.

There are other events for the family like pig races, a 6K Bacon Burner run, live music and even a kid's barbecue area. Proceeds from the challenge benefit a number of Colorado non-profits.