The Party: Carnivores converged on Riverfront Park for an all-you-can-eat feast prepared by the nation’s top pitmasters. Guests lined up to grab small plates from four villages—Traditional, Texas, Coastal, and New School—each manned by experts tending to smokers. Offerings ranged from Tank Johnson’s “hawg bawls” (savory bites of bacon-fried dough) to smoked oyster stew, fork-tender Angus beef brisket with calabacitas, and whole hog two ways. Proceeds benefited the Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Hogs for the Cause, the nation’s leading funding source for children with pediatric brain cancer and their families.
Highlight: The bright red cha shao ribs served on steamed bao buns from Shuai and Corrie Wang’s new project, King BBQ, slated to open this spring
Overheard: “This is such a beautiful spread, I want to try a little bit of everything!”—festival-goer Tonja Roberts sampling charcuterie from goat.sheep.cow in the VIP area
Beneficiary: Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Hogs for the Cause
