LAURINBURG — Downtown was packed full of people Friday and Saturday for the fourth annual Suds and Swine Whole Hog BBQ Festival.
The Swingin’ Medallions kicked off the weekend with the first Scotland Health Care System Laurinburg After Five of the year on the new stage in McDuffie Square.
Then, 19 pro teams and 10 backyard teams began cooking. Winners were announced Saturday after a three-way tie for second place required two tiebreakers. JJ’s BBQ of Staley took first place, Triple B of Lillington placed second, Mr. Curley’s Que Crew of Louisburg finished third, and Smokin’ Pumpkin BBQ of Louisburg took fourth.
“This is a lot of fun, and I’m making a lot of memories with my family,” said JJ’s BBQ Chief Cook Brittany Thompson. “It’s my first time cooking as JJ’s BBQ. My husband has his own cook team, and we’ve been here for the other three years … this is my favorite competition. Even when we competed together, this was our favorite one.”
Thompson added she has competed in five events as JJ’s BBQ and has placed first in four.
In the backyard division, Just PorkN Que’s Mike Williams of Hope Mills placed first, Can’t Get Right’s Marty Stewart of Rockingham took second, and Colt’s Cookin’s Alex Coulthard of Marston finished third.
“We had a great time,” Williams said. “It was a well-organized event, and we look forward to coming back … this was our first time here, and we really enjoyed it. I’d recommend it to more people — it’s a nice, hassle-free event.”
Another competition held Saturday was the Scotland High School Culinary Hamburger Cookoff.
Maalique Campbell took first place with a hamburger stuffed with cheese and sautéed with onions, Paulina Chestnut placed second with a smashburger, and Davionn Coleman finished third with a smashburger. Campbell, a junior, said he had been working on his burger for about three weeks.
“It feels great. You do all that hard work, so it feels good to have something to show for it,” Campbell said. “This is a great program. They’re always encouraging us and lending a helping hand.”
High school students and community members volunteered throughout the day to help the event run smoothly, according to general chair and Rotarian David Harling.
“We’ve had great help from the Scottish Pilot Club, Blue Blazers from Carver, Spartan 300 from Spring Hill, and our Oban exchange students,” Harling said. “We want to continue to grow this event, but we need the community to support it, and we’ve had great crowds today … our out-of-town cooks were blown away by the turnout from a small town.”
Harling added the event was a success, with plenty of barbecue sold. Proceeds will go to the Rotary Club to support local youth programs.
“It’s been a great time,” said Tourism Development Authority Executive Director Cory Hughes. “Most of our teams have been here all four years, so we’re excited about that … Friday night was incredible. Everyone keeps telling me it was the largest crowd they’ve seen for Laurinburg After Five. The new stage was a huge hit, and it’s going to make every downtown event more special.”