Hometown Backyard BBQ Bash planned at Hoover Met

Hometown Lenders is holding its second annual barbecue cooking competition at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on Aug. 3.

The Hometown Backyard BBQ Bash raises money to provide college scholarships to children of first responders in Alabama.

Last year, there was a division for corporate teams and a division for first responder teams, and this year the competition is expanding to include a division for professional barbecue cooking teams, said Chris Mileski, director of marketing for Hometown Lenders.

The Hometown Backyard BBQ Bash this year will be an officially sanctioned event by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, and winners in the professional division can earn points toward the national competition, Mileski said.

About 50 professional teams already had registered as of July 3, along with at least 32 corporate/backyard teams and first responder teams, Mileski said. Any group of individuals can register in the corporate/backyard division, he said.

The cost is $300 per professional or corporate/backyard team, but first responder teams pay no entry fee. Teams can register at hometownbash.com.

Most of the teams are from the Birmingham-Hoover area, but some are coming from Tennessee and Indiana, Mileski said.

Each professional team must cook in four categories: chicken, pork, ribs and brisket. The other teams can choose whichever categories in which they wish to compete, Mileski said.

More than 720 people attended last year’s competition, which was held in late April and called “So You Think You Can Cook?,” Mileski said.

Guests pay for entry and from 1 to 5 p.m. get to sample barbecue from the various teams, as well as ice cream, desserts and soft drinks. There also will be horseback riding, live music and access to the Hoover Metropolitan Complex splash pad.

Guests this year can pre-order tickets for $8 per person at hometownbash.com, but the price will rise to $10 per person the week of the event, Mileski said. Children age 10 and younger get in free.

Last year’s event raised more than $20,000, providing 10 $2,000 scholarships, Mileski said. This year, most scholarships again will be $2,000, but one recipient will get more, he said. Applications are shared with schools and first responders in the Birmingham-Hoover area.

For more information, email chris.mileski@htlenders.com.