BBQ Cook Off

20th Annual Comal County Fair

BBQ Cook Off

Dates:

Cooks Choice Dessert: Friday, September 20, 2024

BBQ Cookoff: Saturday, September 21, 2024

All entry forms with entry fees for returning cookers must be received in the Fair office by July 12, 2024.

RAIN OR SHINE COOK OFF WILL GO ON. NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN FOR ANY REASON.

Spaces are limited to the first 100 teams.

ENTRY FORMS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO NEW COOKERS July 15, 2024

ALL ENTRY FORMS MUST BE RECEIVED BY SEPT. 6TH AT 5:00PM OR until all spaces are filled. (Whichever comes first.)

NEW FOR 2023 – Teams are welcome to start breakdown of their cooking site after the awards however for safety reasons no vehicles will be allowed into the competition area until Sunday morning September 22nd between 7 a.m. – 12 p.m. All teams must be out no later than 12 p.m. Sunday.

All generators must be whisper-quiet, or cooking team must provide and use a sound dampening cover.

Chairman: Sammy Sikes 210-389-4462 (C)

Co-Chairman: Jeff Bujnoch 830-463-1376 (C)

Co-Chairman: Brenda Zercher 830-832-6969 (C)

Location: Comal County Fair Ground

FEES:

• Entry Fee: $200.00 per team (only one entry per team)

• Jackpot Beans: $30.00 per entry. Limit of one (1) entry per team.
• Cooks Choice Desert: $30.00 per entry. Limit one (1) entry per team
• Additional 30x30 spot IF AVALIABLE: $150.00 (Additional space only, this is not considered an entry. You must contact the CCFA Fair Office for this option.)
• RV Spaces: $30.00 per night. This is in addition to your entry fee. All RV spaces are currently full. To be put on a waiting list call the Fair Office at 830-625-1505.
• Water/Electricity, non-RV Spot: $25.00 for the weekend for spots where available. You will be notified by the committee if your spot has water or electricity for use.

AWARDS:

PAYOUT FOR:

• 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place in dessert, beans, chicken, ribs and brisket categories.

TROPHIES FOR:

• 1st, 2nd & 3rd places in dessert, beans, chicken, ribs and brisket categories.

RECOGNITION FOR:

• 4th through 10th place in chicken, ribs and brisket categories.

RULES AND REGULATIONS:

Move In, Set-up, and Move Out Procedures:

1. Advanced Set-Up: Teams with large pits, RVs, large tents, or port-o-potties may set up only those items on Thursday September 19th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Please enter off Common Street.
2. Advanced Set-Up must be requested in advance and must be noted on your entry form.
3. All spaces are 30’x 30’. All teams must remain within their designated spot. No encroachment on other spaces will be tolerated. This will be strictly enforced.
4. Any trailer or RV that does not fit within the designated spot must be removed to the back parking lot. This decision will be at the discretion of the BBQ Committee and all decisions are final.
5. NO ALCOHOL will be allowed on the Fairgrounds during set up on Thursday September 19th.
6. No overnight camping will be allowed on Thursday, September 19th.
7. No meat will be inspected on Thursday, September 19th.
8. General setup will be available on Friday, September 20th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
9. All meats, beans and ingredient entries should be in one vehicle to be inspected at the same time, not located in several vehicles.
10. Vehicles with few or small items will be asked to park in the parking lot and hand carry the items to the team space (team should bring dollies and hand carts to assist in this process).
11. Only two (2) vehicles from each team will be allowed in the competition area to unload at one time.
12. On the day of set-up, vehicles will have a two (2) hour time limit to unload and may be disqualified if left in the competition area longer than two (2) hours.
13. All vehicles in the competition area should have an assigned placard to be placed in the vehicle windshield or dashboard with the name and contact number of the driver so that vehicles that impede setup may be moved quickly. Placards will be assigned at check-in gate by the BBQ-Committee and must be returned when leaving the competition area/fairgrounds.
14. All vehicles exiting the competition area on Friday September 20th will do so by following the road on the back of the rodeo arena and exiting into the parking area near Common Street.
15. All vehicles must be out of the competition area by 7 p.m. Friday September 20th.
16. Teams are welcome to start breakdown of their cooking site after the awards however for safety reasons no vehicles will be allowed into the competition area until Sunday morning September 22nd between 7 a.m. – 12 p.m. All teams must be out no later than 12 p.m. Sunday September 22nd. Any remaining pits, trailers or other equipment will be removed/towed.
17. All vehicles when exiting the competition area on Sunday will do so using the Grant Street exit gate.

BBQ Contest Rules and Regulations:

All teams must prepare their BBQ on-site cooked over wood, charcoal, pellets and/or other wood-based products. NO PRE- MARINATING OR PRE-COOKING.

Rule Clarification:

Meats are to be prepared on any pit or smoker that uses wood or wood-based products. BBQ pit may include gar or electric for starting the combustion of the wood or wood products but NOT to be used for cooking.

Permitted:

• traditional BBQ trailered or un-trailered pits
• Pellet Cooker/Grills

• Electric smokers
• Gas grills

1. All teams must furnish their own raw meat and cooking supplies.
2. All raw meat must be inspected prior to the head cooks meeting on September 21st. Any meat that has not been inspected will not be judged.
3. All entries, meat and beans should be in one vehicle to be inspected at the time, not located in several vehicles.
4. Jackpot Beans: Dry pinto beans only. Beans may be pre-soaked but not pre-seasoned.
5. Categories: Beef Brisket, Chicken Halves, Pork Spare Ribs, Jackpot Beans and Cooks choice dessert.
6. Judging: Friday September 20th Dessert at 6 p.m., Saturday September 21st Beans at 10 a.m., followed by Chicken Halves at 12 p.m., Pork Spare Ribs at 2 p.m., and Beef Brisket at 4 p.m.
7. Head cooks meeting will begin SATURDAY September 21st at 8:00 a.m. SHARP under the food court.
8. Teams can pick up their judging containers Friday September 20th under the food court from 5:00pm to 8:00pm or on Saturday September 21st immediately following the head cooks meeting.
9. Payout for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd places in dessert, beans, chicken, ribs and brisket categories.

Cook’s Choice Dessert Rules

1. Only one (1) entry will be accepted per team.
2. All dessert entries must be turned in on Friday by 6 p.m. under the food court.
3. All desserts must be cooked on site and over a fire or on a BBQ-pit within the Comal County Fair Grounds. No prebaked entries will be accepted.
4. Each dessert must be made from scratch.
5. For health reasons, no desserts requiring freezing, or refrigeration are allowed (ex. Cheesecake, ice cream, etc.)
6. Each dessert entered will be required to provide a list of all ingredients at check in on an official Comal County Fair page provided. (This will aid those with food allergies. The recipe is not needed, just a list of ingredients).
7. All dessert entries will be submitted in a judging tray provided by the CCFA and can be picked up at 5:00pm Friday September 20th in the food court.
8. All dessert entries must fill the bottom part of the judging tray, or the quantity must be half dozen or more (cookies, brownies).
9. At the time of submission all desserts become the property of CCFA.
10. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Saturday September 21st at the completion of the BBQ Judging.

Alcohol Management

1. NO ALCOHOL will be allowed on the Fairgrounds during set up on Thursday September 19th.
2. Teams are allowed to bring 2-100qt ice chest worth of beer onto the grounds. Beer and Ice will be available for purchase at the Fairgrounds throughout the event.
3. Per TABC rules and the CCFA License, NO alcohol other than beer or wine is allowed on the grounds at any time.
4. Consumption of alcohol must stop at midnight on Friday, and 1 a.m. on Saturday.
5. Team conduct is the responsibility of the team head cook.
6. Drunk and disorderly conduct by any team member or their guest is grounds for team disqualification and removal from grounds.
7. Any team or individual caught bringing alcohol onto the fairgrounds with the exception of the allowed (2) 100 quart ice chests, will be immediately disqualified and removed from the fairgrounds. NO WARNINGS WILL BE GIVEN.

General Rules and Regulations

1. All spaces are 30’x30’. All teams must remain with-in the assigned designated spot. No encroachment on other spots will be tolerated. This will be strictly enforced.
2. Any trailer or RV that does not fit within the designated spot must be removed to the back parking lot. This decision will be at the discretion of the BBQ Committee and all decisions are final.
3. No ground fires.
4. NO animal(s) of any kind WILL BE PERMITTED on Comal County Fair Grounds except for service animals as defined in the Americans With Disabilities Act.
5. No motorized vehicles (GOLF CARTS, 4 WHEELERS, DIRT BIKES ECT), WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ON The FAIR GROUNDS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FAIR/COMMITTEE OFFICIALS.
6. Music within your team area is allowed. HOWEVER, sound/stereo systems or LIVE music which interferes with announcements, entertainment, or other events sponsored by the CCFA or which intrude upon or interfere with the comfort of fellow contestants WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Offenders may receive up to 3 warnings from BBQ Committee officials and non-compliance will be grounds for disqualification.
7. ALL LIVE ENTERTAINMENT MUST BE APPROVED PRIOR TO SET UP.
8. ALL vehicles and extra trailers must be parked in outfield grass parking lot behind fair office. UNAUTHORIZED VEHICLES WILL BE TOWED AT OWNERS EXPENSE.
9. Teams may be disqualified if a vehicle associated with the team (member or visitor) is not removed by Friday September 20th at 7:00 p.m.
10. Disorderly conduct or unruly behavior will not be tolerated. Teams will be disqualified and asked to leave the grounds immediately.
11. Each Head Cook will be responsible for the conduct of their team members and guests and keeping their area clean, including final departure clean-up.
12. All teams must enter the Fair Grounds from the Parking Entrance on Common Street.

Additional rules or regulations may be made as the situations warrant. The decisions of the BBQ Cook Off officials are FINAL.

Summary:

• Thursday September 19th (5 p.m. – 7 p.m.) – Advanced Set-Up
  • No alcohol on grounds
  • No overnight camping
  • No meat inspected
• Friday September 20th (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.) – General Set-Up
  • Only two vehicles allowed in competition area at a time (2 hour unloading limit)
    • Must have a placard in vehicle windshield or on the dashboard.
      • Must be returned when exiting competition area.
    • All vehicles must exit using the road on the back of the rodeo arena into parking area near common.
    • All vehicles must be out of the cook-off area by 7 p.m.
  • All meats, beans and ingredients check in.
  • Head Cook is responsible for coordinating and bringing in all meats, beans, and dessert ingredients in one vehicle.
  • Pick-up all trays from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. under food court
  • Judging
    • Dessert at 6 p.m. (be sure to pick up tray at 5 p.m.)
      • Ingredient card to be provided at check in
• Saturday September 21st
  • Head Cooks meeting – 8 a.m. SHARP.
  • Pick-up all trays immediately following head cooks meeting.
  • Judging
    • Beans @ 10 a.m.
    • Chicken @ 12 p.m.
    • Ribs @ 2 p.m.
    • Brisket @ 4 p.m.
  • Awards @ 6 p.m.
  • New FOR 2023
    • No vehicles will be allowed to leave the competition area until Sunday morning between 7 a.m. – 12 p.m. due to safety reasons.
• Sunday September 22nd (7 a.m. – 12 p.m.)
  • Vehicles will be allowed into the competition area starting at 7 a.m. and all vehicles, BBQ pits, trailers, etc. must be out by 12 p.m.

Additional rules or regulations may be made as the situations warrant. Decisions of the BBQ Cook Off officials are FINAL.