SOLDIER FIELD — Barbecue masters across the nation will be pit against each other here, with guests allowed to taste the food for themselves.
The Windy City BBQ Classic will return to Chicago from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 in Soldier Field's South Parking Lot, 1410 Museum Campus Drive.
For the first time, the annual contest will be sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society, meaning the overall winner will earn automatic bids to the Jack Daniel's Invitational and American Royal World Series of Barbecue, two of the biggest barbecue competitions in the world. About 70 teams including restaurants and caterers will otherwise compete for $12,500 in prizes at the Soldier Field event.
"Whether your BBQ preference is from Kansas City, Memphis, Central Texas, the Carolinas, or the South Side of Chicago, our participating chefs have got you covered," said Gary Wiviott, co-founder of the Windy City BBQ Classic, in a statement.
Up to 500 tickets including "VIP" access will be sold for $100 each. But tickets include barbecue samples, giveaways, a guided tour of contest prep and beverages from Lagunitas Brewing, Tito's Vodka and Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine.
All proceeds from the event will benefit Operation BBQ Relief, a non-profit founded in response to the vicious tornado that swept through Joplin, Mo. in 2011.
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