Blues Hog BBQ and Music Fest comes to Savannah, Tennessee

SAVANNAH, Tenn. – the Blues Hog BBQ and Music Fest, a two-day celebration of great music, great food, and family fun, takes place March 31-April 1 at Green Acres RV Resort.

Beginning on Friday afternoon, visitors can enjoy live music by some of the best bands that have been rising in popularity at festivals across the area.

The outdoor fun includes something for all ages, arts and crafts, a kids-que, a selection of food styles for purchase and sampling, including barbecue pork, chicken, brisket, desserts, drinks and catfish.

The Blues Hog BBQ and Music Fest is a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) event, a state championship barbecue contest, and a Jack Daniels' World Championship and American Royal Invitational Qualifier. More than $15,000 is up for grabs in a battle for the Grand Champion title.

Admission to the grounds is free. Parking is available on site and across the highway.

CATFISH:

A National Catfish Derby Championship of Catfish Cook-off is hosted Friday afternoon as catfish and hushpuppies, two dishes Savannah, Tennessee is famous for, is served. This cook-off will have two divisions - restaurant and amateur with three categories - fried, grilled and most unique.  

MUSIC:

Bring a lawn chair to enjoy a full weekend of music from a slate of popular bands. Friday's line-up starts at 5 p.m. with Freedom, Skelton Crew and Coyote Creek.  Saturday's line-up starts at 2 p.m. with  Lady Sundown, Step N’ Tyme, Music Stew, Stumpwater, and Dead Horse, one of the area’s best emerging bands.

FUN:

Vendors will open at 9 a.m. with lots of food to eat. Mingle through the Cook-off Team area to watch the professionals at work. Fun activities include Jump Houses, Gravity Jumpers, volleyball and arts and craft vendors showing and selling their wares.

The event is proud to be part of Smithfield's Get Grilling America Tour. In the Smithfield Kitchen, celebrity chef Melissa Cookston hosts demonstrations. She’s a four-time Whole Hog World Champion and two-time Memphis in May World Champion. A great Southern Delta chef, Cookston is the proprietor of three locations of the Memphis BBQ Co. and the recently opened STEAK by Melissa in Southaven, Mississippi. Cookston is the author of two best-selling cookbooks, “Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room” and “Smokin’ Hot in the South” which won the National BBQ News 2016 Book of the Year Award.  Smithfield's ambassadors are handing out samples, coupons, and swag.

People's Choice - Public Food Sampling

Get tickets to the people’s choice event on Saturday morning and sample some of the award-winning barbecue from the champions. Patrons can sample professional barbecue teams' pulled pork and vote for $5.  Winners of the People's Choice Awards will be announced at 4:30 p.m. Saturday during the competition awards.

No outside coolers, food, or beverages will be permitted. The festival will feature open lawn seating and visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chairs; no seating will be provided. Blues Hog BBQ and Music Fest will take place rain or shine.

For more information, visit www.blueshogbbqandmusicfest.com.

Proceeds from the Blues Hog BBQ and Music Fest will benefit Aspell Recovery Center of Hardin County, the Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center, Hardin County Jesus Cares, and the Christian Assistance Ministries.

For more information, contact Southwest Tennessee Tourism at 731-616-7474 or Hardin County CVB at 731-925-8181.

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