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The Houma Airbase will be filled with the aroma of meat cooking on Friday, Aug. 21, and Saturday, Aug. 22, when barbecue teams fire up their grills to compete in the 3rd annual Bayou Country BBQ Cook-Off.
And while the grills are going, other folks will be roping calves and riding bulls as part of a rodeo sanctioned by the Cajun Rodeo Association (CRA). On Saturday morning, others will be admiring automobiles and some will be competing in a beauty pageant. Shoppers will be able to take advantage of a craft and boutique area and youngsters will be able to enjoy pony rides, a petting zoo and games.
Gates open at 6 p.m. on Friday and at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Admission is free, except for the rodeo, which is $10 for adults and $6 for children.
Each night closes out with music and on Friday, beginning at 9 p.m., Bayou Deluxe will perform. Ruff’n’ Ready takes the stage at 9 p.m. Saturday.
Nicole Trahan, who’s been president of the Bayou Country Cook-Off for its three-year run, says new events, such as the rodeo and the car show, have been added and the location has been changed with expectations to double the money raised for local charities. Each year, the proceeds from the cook-off are divided between two charities – MacDonnell United Methodist Children’s Services and one other local charity. This year’s second beneficiary is the Terrebonne Children’s Advocacy Center.
There is no entry fee for the beauty pageant, but contestants are asked to donate non-perishable food items, which are donated to local food banks. Last year, the event donated $4,600 to MacDonnell Children’s Services and to Hope Restored for Life. The local food bank received more than 6,200 items, Trahan said.
The cook-off is a Barbeque Competitors Alliance (BCA) sanctioned event that attracts local and professional teams.
“We had a lot of local participation last year, and some of the local teams put the professional teams to the test,” Trahan said.
Each team will prepare a brisket, a half chicken and pork spare ribs. Some teams will show up on Friday evening, Trahan said, to prepare and some may begin cooking on Friday, in anticipation of the judging at noon on Saturday. They will be competing for points that can earn an invitation to a final event and for part of the $3,000 payout.
Awards will be handed out from first to 10th place in each meat category. There will also be a local grand champion named, who gets “bragging rights for the next year,” Trahan said.
A reserve and grand champion will also be named. Judges are members of the “general public,” Trahan said, because the BCA prefers it that way. This year, about 30 to 35 judges will be needed, she said and those interested in being part of the judging can sign up in advance on the event’s web page. Some people will come wanting to judge, but others will be pulled from the crowd, she said.
The rodeo, Trahan said, “will have the typical rodeo events, like calf roping, bull riding and barrel racing.” The rodeo, scheduled for each night at 7 p.m., includes pre-rodeo events, like the introduction of contestants for rodeo queen on Friday and the announcement of the Bayou Country Rodeo Queen on Saturday. A youth rodeo is set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
The car show Saturday morning is open to anyone who pays the $25 entry fee. Prizes will be awarded in a variety of categories – Mustang, Camaro, motorcycles and the like – according to Trahan. These awards will be handed out at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The cook-off beauty pageant is set for 10 a.m. Saturday. It is open to anyone up to age 15.
Kevin Champagne, executive director of MacDonnell Children’s Services, said donated funds help supplement what the organization gets from the state to cover the costs for the residential center it operates for boys in Houma. Champagne also said his organization offers volunteers who help with the event.
More information on each activity and registration information is available at www.bayoucookoff.com.
