Blues and BBQ converge in Downtown Jackson

JACKSON, Tenn. — Barbecue and blues, that perfect combination is taking over the Hub City this weekend. Competitions are already heating up with BBQ masters coming in from all over the U.S.

“Some guys do it ‘low and slow’, some guys are ‘hot and fast’,” Tim Scheer, with Blues Hog BBQ said. “But the main thing is everyone is cranking out a unique product and they’re all fighting for the $15,000 prize.”

For the second year, the Blues Hog BBQ and Music Festival brings hundreds of pit bosses from across the county to Jackson.

“We’ve got Arizona, Tennessee, and Kansas City,” Scheer said. “Everyone’s covered here and there’s something everyone is going to like.”

This year, the competition stretches across downtown, bringing in thousands with the sweet smell of BBQ.

“We wanted to bring the contest down here and help them grow the downtown area,” Scheer said. “Bring guests and tourists in and this is wonderful for that.”

But what steals the stage of this competition is not what is in the smoker, it is who is benefiting from it all.. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“We donate as much back as we bring in,” festival founder Billy Arnold Jr. said. “So it’s a ‘no lose’ situation.”

The competition part of this festival will kick off Saturday. This year it includes a People’s Choice Award, which costs $10 for an all-you-can-eat tasting.

Local bands are also being highlighted throughout the weekend. ‘The Amp’ at the Farmers Market will have a full line-up Friday and Saturday night.