BBQ, Beer and Bright Sky Dreams.

The Fresno County Historical Society is excited to host the Central Valley's premiere barbeque competition to be held on September 24, 2022, from 11AM to 9PM. The Great Kearney BBQ Smoke Out is a Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS) sanctioned Master Series event. Tickets can still be purchased in advance at valleyhistory.org/great-kearney-bbq and will be held at Will Call. Tickets can also be purchased on-site on Saturday as long as they last. There is a $5.00 parking fee which is helping support the Historical Society and the Fig Garden Rotary’s Special Projects Fund. Cash recommended for parking

Proceeds from this event will directly benefit the extensive Educational and Archival projects of the Fresno County Historical Society. At this time, when it has become so important not only to reflect on our collective past but also to preserve our present, events like this one serve to raise the funds needed to meet this important mission.

The public is invited to join us in Kearney Park for a full day of mouth-watering BBQ along with side dishes and desserts that showcase the abundance of the Valley. We anticipate more than 47 competitors from around the country and from right here in Fresno County. All will be vying for a prize purse of $8,000, awarded over four categories and a Grand Champion.

Registered teams at this time include:

Guests will see professionals and amateurs at work on the grill, feast on BBQ and all the fixings along with beer tastings from local breweries, while watching live music and enjoying a stroll through our Fields of Fresno: A Century in the Soil outdoor agriculture exhibition featuring more than two football fields worth of historical images and items from the archives of the Historical Society.

Those that think their side dishes and desserts are the finest in the county, can enter their specialties at valleyhistory.org/great-kearney-bbq-side-dessert. Judges will be focused on how well competitors incorporate the BOUNTY OF THE VALLEY into their dishes! Contestants must pre-register to bring their best side for a chance to win $500.00. Space is limited and entries will be taken in three categories: Hot Sides, Cold Sides and Desserts.  

A scrumptious variety of food trucks will each be offering a BBQ Bite in addition to their regular menus and a craft-beer competition is on the schedule, organized by the incomparable Fresno Street Eats, led by Mike Oz and team.

Enjoy a full day of the finest musical performers on our Main Stage including The Real Phonies, Celtic Alchemy, the Larry Flores Band, Brandon Freeman, The Gilly Girls Band, Starr Choice Band and The Parris Brothers featuring Rudy Parris.

Additionally, our Family Zone will feature games and a bounce house, Giant Jenga, Giant Connect-Four and whiffle ball all provided by Fresno Social Sports.

The night ends with a fantastic Drone Light Show from Sky Dreams at 8:30PM, made possible by donations from Caglia Environmental and Fresno Equipment Company.

Sponsorships are still available at valleyhistory.org/great-kearney-bbq-sponsors.

Thank you to these sponsors and partners.

About the Fresno County Historical Society

Founded in 1919 as a repository of the records of service for all men from Fresno County in World War I, the Fresno County Historical Society has been engaging, informing and educating the public through the collection, preservation and interpretation of the stories, images and resources of our unique region in order to better understand our past and help shape our future. Our goal is to help people of all ages understand the variegated tapestry of our region and that everyone is MAKING HISTORY EVERY DAY. Current endeavors include the ongoing Oral History Collection project, the Community Photographic Preservation project and our Living COVID-19 Archive. Additionally, we work with local school districts to teach our regional history through Time Travelers and an ever-increasing range of digital curriculum accessible to teachers and students from kindergarten through university. We are a member-supported 501(c)3. Visit valleyhistory.org for more information.

About the Kansas City Barbeque Society

THE KANSAS CITY BARBEQUE SOCIETY (KCBS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and enjoying barbeque, is the world's largest organization of barbeque and grilling enthusiasts with over 20,000 members worldwide.

KCBS sanctions over 500 barbeque contests worldwide. From volunteering to actual event production, our members also offer assistance to civic and charitable organizations who organize events.