Hey Gang! One of the biggest 'que weekends of the year is just a couple of days away...what are you cooking up this weekend? Here are a few updates/random thoughts/news items to keep your mind busy... Southern Illinois Bluegrass & BBQ Festival After a successful meeting with the Salem Illinois Tourism Board (main sponsor of the Salem cook) last Monday night, a challenge has been thrown out to the ILBBQS and the Salem contest...40 Teams. With the success of last year's contest, I think this is a very doable number! ...and for those of you who won a custom designed trivet (or two) from last year's event...they are looking at some different types of trophies for this year...something like you have never seen before! Stay tuned for details. Anyway, back to the challenge...One Southern Illinois business owner has offered an Additional $1,000 to the Cash Purse for the Southern Illinois Bluegrass & BBQ Festival, scheduled for September 7th & 8th, when they hit their max of 40 teams for this year. This will pad the payout even more than the expected $1,500 for Grand, $800 for Reserve, and Payouts through 10th Place in Every KCBS Category! Team count is beyond the quarter mark and picking up weekly. If you haven't already sent in your application for this Illinois State Championship & Illinois Cup Qualifier, you may want to get on your pony and go! More information, and online registration, is available on the 'Events' page and on the contest's website at www.BluegrassBBQ.com. --------------------------- This weekend will bring on one of Illinois' newest contests... The Westmont BBQ (Chicagoland). I know the organizers have been working hard to make this a great first year event, so if you're in the neighborhood be sure to stop by and say hello from the ILBBQS! If you have your camera handy, snap some pics and send them to us for posting on http://www.ILBBQS.com ! --------------------------- The next Illinois event that I know of is the King City Showdown (Mt. Vernon) the weekend of June 8th & 9th. Troy Heitmeyer (Smokin T's BBQ Team and Organizer of the event) has reported the biggest BBQ contest ever in this Southern Illinois city at the crossroads of I-57 & I-64...40+ Teams vying for big bucks and a good time are currently scheduled for the cook, with more expected. Part of the Grand Prize Package for this contest is a brand new Big Green Egg Smoker! If you're not signed up yet, be sure to visit our Event's Page at http://www.ILBBQS.com for additional information! --------------------------- Since the last update, Illinois has hosted a couple of backyard events, including the one in Clinton, Illinois last weekend, but results have not yet been reported for posting on the website. If you have attended a bbq event recently, please take a moment to send a report over for posting. As BBQ continues to grow in popularity, and events popping up all over the state, we need all hands on deck to make sure that Illinois BBQ continues to flourish and make an everlasting mark on the BBQ world. We've all heard of Texas BBQ, Kansas City BBQ, Memphis BBQ, North Carolina BBQ, and even Arizona BBQ...it's about time "Illinois BBQ" made the list! If you've recently attended a contest in Illinois, simply jot down the who, what, when, where & why of the event and email it to bbq@ilbbqs.com ...I'll get the info posted for all to see, learn, and enjoy. If you happen to get a picture, or two, send it along with your note...a picture is worth a thousand words! --------------------------- Illinois Cup Award An Illinois Cup Award is being added to the October Central Illinois Bragging Rights BBQ (CIBR) competition in Arthur, Illinois. The highest combined point totals earned in 2007, for KCBS sanctioned events in Illinois, as recorded by KCBS, will be tallied to determine the winner. The 2007 Barn Burner BBQ in Libertyville, Illinois, since it falls after the CIBR, will be counted as the first entry in the 2008 points standing. Currently KCBS lists 8 events as sanctioned in Illinois: Westmont, Mt. Vernon, Elk Grove, Shannon, Salem, Carbondale, Arthur, and Libertyville. Due to the Libertyville contest coming after the CIBR, it will be the first scoring event for the 2008 Illinois Cup Award. If more contests are sanctioned by KCBS, in Illinois, they will be added to the chase. CIBR will use the overall standing points in each event. The more events a team enters the better chance to win the cup. Although it would be nice, the winning team is not required to compete in Arthur in order to win the Illinois Cup Award. The CIBR is underwriting the award for 2007, with hopes of finding a sponsor with state wide reach who can benefit from the year long exposure. If anyone has contacts or ideas please let us know! --------------------------- Well, that's about it for this week. I am proud to say that the popularity of BBQ in Illinois is not only thriving, but is growing at a phenominal rate! I have received requests for help from two prospective contest organizers in the last week and all is shaping up for an amazing 2007 and even better 2008! Thanks to all of you! As always, if you have any comments, suggestions, questions, or ideas, let me know! Carpe 'Que, Jim 'Rhino' Reincke Illinois BBQ Society Online: http://www.ILBBQS.com Email: bbq@ilbbqs.com Phone: (618) 740-4535