DUBLIN, Ga. — Folks got fired up in downtown Dublin during the St. Patrick's Pig in the Park Barbecue Championship at the Market on Madison. This year 26 teams competed.
It's a battle of the barbecue, but the cooks say they were there for good food and good company.
Regina McDaniel has been judging the championship for nine years now. She says the food is judged on presentation, texture, and taste.
"It is barbecue and it is good," McDaniel said. "I think it's a really great experience. We meet new people, from around town with different judges occasionally and we bond and get together once a year."
Rod Mcneil has been a judge for five years. He said they judge the three categories, chicken, ribs, and pulled pork. Teams either got first, second, or third-place awards in each division.
"You have whole families coming in together to cook and organizations coming together, it's just a good bonding situation," McNeil said. "All of this is phenomenal and they stay up all night just for it."
Jake Dean said he dusted off his smoker to barbecue with his friends for the competition.
"Our community is as good as it gets. It don't get no better," Dean said. "Everybody contributes, everybody pitches in and it's all family-orientated."
Dean says people take this time to talk to others, make connections, and eat some good barbecue.
"All the local businesses support each other, we are all in it together, and the rising tide will raise all the ships and we all help each other grow," Dean said.
Kortney Daniel said this is her third year coming to the championship.
"There's just so much that goes into it just for the community outcome, it's just a great experience," Daniel said.
Daniel came out with friends and family and said they plan their year around the championship.
"It's just a great event," Daniel said. "We get to watch all the local companies come together and it's just so fun. You get to see your friends that you don't see most of the year or you only see a couple times a year. You get to watch the friendly competition. It's a good time."
Daniel said the weeks of prep work pay off and she's happy to see her community bond over some barbecue.
"You have people that are used to doing these and then you have people that are out here to literally just support our city our community but they're all local businesses, we're a small town so everybody knows everybody, and for the most part it's just friendly good fashioned competition."
For more information on Dublin St. Patrick's festival events throughout March, you can go to the city's event website.