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!

Cook Teams must pay an entry fee of $200.00.

Each entry includes 1 category entry (red beans and rice, barbecue, side, or dessert). Additional entries are $50.00.

An additional fee of $50.00 is required if you need electricity and will not be bringing your own portable generator.

Each category is judged separately. All entries will be judged based on taste, execution, and appearance. The judges will give a score out of ten for each criterion, 1 being inedible, 10 being excellent. Category score are weighted as follows: Taste (50%), Execution (35%) and Appearance (15%).

A more detailed overview of how entries are judged can be found in the Contestant Info Packet.

Awards include: Best Beans, Best Barbecue, Best Side, Best Dessert, Best Presentation, Best Cook Team Tent, and the People’s Choice Award.

The deadline to register is Monday, October 20, 2025.