About the Festival

Get ready for a day of smoky BBQ, savory red beans, live music, cold drinks, and good times for a great cause at the BankPlus Red Beans & BBQ Festival!

On Saturday, October 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Belhaven Town Center comes alive as local restaurants, businesses, congregations, and backyard cooks fire up the grills and break out their best recipes for a little friendly competition—and some serious bragging rights.

Cook Teams will go head-to-head for Best BBQ, Best Red Beans, Best Cook Team Tent, and the coveted People’s Choice Award. Grab a plate, cast your vote, and stick around for live music, ice-cold drinks, local arts and crafts vendors, and fun for the kids.

And the best part? Every bite gives back. Proceeds from the festival benefit Stewpot Community Services and its mission to provide food, shelter, clothing, and compassionate care to neighbors facing hunger and homelessness in our community.

Come hungry. Stay awhile. Do some good.

Calling all Pitmasters and Chefs…

Got a winning recipe and a love for community? Join the fun at Stewpot’s Red Beans & BBQ Festival! Whether you're a backyard pitmaster, a restaurant pro, or just love to cook with friends, we want you on the lineup. Every year, we welcome teams from friend groups, social clubs, congregations, businesses, restaurants, and nonprofits to bring the heat in this friendly, flavor-packed competition. Ready to show off your skills for a great cause? Visit our Cook Team Info page or shoot us an email to get started!

Register Your Cook Team!

Nominate a Judge

We welcome members of our community to nominate someone to be a Judge at Red Beans & BBQ. Judges are chosen based on their involvement in the community, appreciation for good food and drink, and a love for Stewpot. Judges receive free admission to the event and vote on participating restaurants/businesses in the following categories: Best Barbecue, Best Beans, Best Side, and Best Dessert. Submissions will be closed on Monday, October 5, 2026.

Submit Nomination Form

2025 SPONSORS
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FAQs

  • Tickets are $20 each + a $2.07 processing fee. A Festival Four-Pack can also be purchased for $55 + a $7.32 processing fee. Stewpot uses a ticketing platform called Humantix that donates 100% of processing fees to non-profits.

    Tickets will also be available for purchase the day of the event. Cash, check, and cards are all accepted.

  • Anyone! The neat thing abut this festival is that you will see all kinds of groups cooking alonside each other on event day: law firms, congregations, friend groups, non-profit organizations, etc. The more the merrier!

  • Children 5 and under get in free! If your child is 6 or older, please purchase them a ticket as well.

  • Your ticket allows you to taste as many samples from as many Cook Teams as you like! There will also be live bands throughout the day and activities for children. Alcoholic drinks are available for purchase at Fertile Ground, Good Bar, Pulito, Rowan’s, and Elvie’s.