Great Lenexa Barbeque Battle

The Great Lenexa Barbeque Battle started in 1982 with twelve contestants and twelve judges. On April 27, 1984, Governor John Carlin, declared the contest the official Kansas State Championship. The contest has grown to its current size of 165 contestants and 240 judges.

The contest is always held on the fourth Saturday of June each year. It is held at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Some people think the park should be renamed to Char-Co-Par Trails Park for that weekend.

The contest attracts cookers from all over the country. They will compete over two days for the coveted title of Grand Champion of the Great Lenexa Barbeque Battle, Kansas State Champion.

The fun begins on Friday as 175 teams begin arriving with some of the most unique smoking contraptions imaginable. They bring with them secret recipes that they hope will help aid them in winning the contest. As the teams prepare their cooking sites the park comes alive with entertainment, children’s activities, and live music Friday night.

The real contest begins Saturday as the judging tent buzzes with activity preparing for the first barbeque samples to arrive around Noon. 240 judges have the hard task of identifying the best barbeque among seven different categories including; brisket, pork, ribs, sausage, chicken, whole animal and miscellaneous.