Bernard Blues & BBQ to host KSBS Backyard Cook-off
Published 9:50 pm Friday, May 2, 2025
Cullman’s Cody Vondrasek smokes a batch of his Codeman’s BBQ wings during the 2023 Bernard Blues & BBQ festival for the People’s Choice competition. Amanda Shavers | The Cullman Times
Guests line up to sample wings during the people choice competition, at the 7th annual Bernard Blues and BBQ on the campus of St. Bernard Prep in 2023. Amanda Shavers | The Cullman Times
Athens’ PuckDaddy’s Killer Q wins the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in 2023. Amanda Shavers | The Cullman Times
Meridian, Mississippi’s, Smokey Bees takes the Grand Champions trophy in 2023. Amanda Shavers | The Cullman Times
Guests sample wings during the tasting portion of the People’s Choice Wings competition in 2023. Amanda Shavers | The Cullman Times
St. Bernard Preparatory School will continue its partnership with the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) when the annual Bernard Blues & BBQ festival hosts an exciting weekend of barbeque competitions. Events will kick off on Friday, Sept. 5, with a one-meat chicken competition. On Saturday, Sept. 6, the Backyard Competition will feature categories in chicken and ribs, along with two ancillary contests highlighting Conecuh sausage and dessert.
Bernard Blues & BBQ has accepted an invitation to partner in the Southeast BBQ Championship Points Race. This new partnership will allow St. Bernard Prep to celebrate and showcase the outstanding barbeque talent across the Southeast, encompassing all KCBS contests held in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida. As part of the bonus points contest, teams will receive an additional 10 points per category, plus extra points toward their overall score, offering even greater incentives for competitors.
“Our hope is that the added incentives will attract more Southeast BBQ Championship teams to our contest, providing an easy opportunity for teams to accumulate points toward Team of the Year honors,” said Festival Director, Joyce Nix.
For the second year, Bernard Blues will participate in the Battle Royal competition, where teams compete in five designated events to qualify for one of three top spots and a share of a $2,500 purse. Participating contests include Singing River Smoke-o-Roma (Athens), High on the Hog Festival (Winchester, Tennessee), Reeling and Smoking (Ditto Landing, Huntsville), Bernard Blues & BBQ (Cullman) and the Scottsboro BBQ Festival (Scottsboro).
The Best 4 out of 5 scores will be used to determine winners, with only chicken and ribs’ scores being considered to ensure fairness across all contests. The combined total for both categories will serve as the final metric, and the team with the highest score will be declared the champion at the Scottsboro BBQ Festival.
Throughout the weekend, guests will enjoy live blues music and browse arts and crafts vendors from across the Southeast. To cap off the festivities, St. Bernard Prep School will host a giveaway of more than $10,000 at the close of events on Sunday, Sept. 7.
