Dates not confirmed yet. This edition is expected in April 2027, based on when it has run before. Check the organizer before making plans.

Food & Drink

Syndicate Smokedown & Music Festival

#bbqcompetition#barbecue#countrymusic#stockyards#ibca#scholarshipfundraiser

Date

Expected April 2027

Location

Stockyards Station
140 E Exchange Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76164

Organized by

Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate

About this happenin

Barbecue teams and country bands share a Saturday in April at Stockyards Station in the Fort Worth Stockyards for the Syndicate Smokedown & Music Festival. The Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate runs it as a nonprofit festival, and the money goes to $10,000 scholarships for Texas 4-H and FFA students headed into agriculture or life sciences at a Texas state university. The cook-off is an IBCA state championship. Judges pick 10 winners each in spare ribs, chicken and brisket, and belt buckles go to the Grand Champion and the Reserve Champion. BBQ Time, VIP and Platinum tickets get you in at 11:30 a.m., and barbecue joints from around the area serve samples from noon to 4. Music Time tickets start at 4 p.m., when the country acts take the main stage. Vendors in Smokedown Village sell barbecue gear alongside outdoor and western goods. Folding chairs are welcome. Dogs are not, unless they are service animals, and the whole event is cashless.

More in April: 12 other Dallas-Fort Worth events.