Join us as a competitor, for the ultimate rib-tastic cook off.  A day of adventure as you are judged, yes judged, by a panel of your friends and neighbors hand picked by our Founders Day Committee. The Ultimate Rib Cook Off where grill masters battle it out to see who can make the most mouth-watering ribs cooked to perfection! It will be a competition for the general public to enjoy viewing, and for anyone that wants to compete!   

For the on lookers, bring your family and friends for a day filled with delicious food, fun activities, and great company. Join us for a finger-licking  good time. Bring your appetite and get ready to sample some of the best ribs around cooked to perfection! Whether you're a BBQ enthsiast or just love good food, this event is a must-attend! Don't miss out on the chance to taste some of the best ribs around - mark your calendars now!

For Questions Contact: 

Nathaniel Moore (254) 981-3418   

Jerry (Bud) Pavelka (254) 749-4284 

8am - Move In

9am - Cooks Meeting

10am- Cooking Begins

12pm- Judges Meeting

3pm - Turn In Time / Judging

4pm - Winners Annouced / Awards Given

Prizes:

- 70/30 Spilt of cash pool  1st -5th places

- Trophy/Plaques to 1st, 2nd & 3rd place

Competitors- 

Info to keep in mind:

- A $50 entry fee is required for each team competeting along with the registration

- All Ages are welcome and encouraged to sign up!  

- Competitors will need to provide their own meat, pit, and cleaning supplies.

- No water or electricty is provided.

- (1) 10' X 20' space is provided for each competeting team.

- Due to the fact that this is a SPARE RIB COOK OFF ONLY, this will be a one day event, so no overnight stays will be permitted.

- NO CAMPERS AT THE EVENT.   

- Judges, judging trays, and prizes will be provided by our host.

- Any remaining ribs, after judging, may be available to the public for purchase.

Cook-Off Rules:

1. SUPPLIES – Teams must provide all their own supplies. host - MART AREA LIONS CLUB will provide space, trash bags, and containers for judging. NO ELECTRICITY OR WATER WILL BE PROVIDED. Props, trailers, vehicles, tent coverings, or any other part of the contestants’ equipment MUST NOT EXCEED the boundaries of the assigned cooking space unless approved by MART AREA LIONS CLUB. Holes or dug pits are not permitted. Any equipment or devices that may damage the surface area of the contest site in any way are prohibited.

2. PREPARATION – Contestants will provide the ribs. All meat will be cooked on-site. The preparation and completion of all ribs in competition is within the confines of the cook-off site and during the time limits designated by MART AREA LIONS CLUB.

3. SANITATION – Cooks are to prepare and cook in as sanitary a manner as possible. Cooking conditions are subject to inspection by the judging committee. Infractions identified by the judging committee shall be immediately corrected, or the cook will be subject to disqualification. Teams must provide their own cleaning area for washing, rinsing, and sanitization.

4. ENTRIES PER PIT – MART AREA LIONS CLUB recognizes that a contestant or team consists of one chief cook and no more than four assistants (only one entry and one chief cook) will cook on a given pit. It will be the responsibility of the promoter to monitor entries. Notwithstanding multiple entries by the same cook multiple entries from the same piece of meat shall not be allowed. Contestants may check into the designated RIb Cook-off area beginning at 8:00 A.M Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, and must have all equipment packed away by 8pm.

5. The following categories are recognized and judged in this year’s event: Pork Spare Ribs

6. JUDGING TRAYS – A single sheet of aluminum foil should be supplied in each tray. All judging containers shall be clean and free of any markings. Judging boxes may be garnished with leaf lettuce. Marked containers may be disqualified at the Head Judge’s discretion. Cooks are responsible for ensuring that the containers. they receive remain clean and free of distinguishing marks.

7. JUDGING TRAYS CONTENTS – MART AREA LIONS CLUB requires that all cooks obtain 6 equal ribs to be placed in each judging tray. The Head Judge or designated representative will inspect all trays at the time of turn-in to assure compliance with the turn-in criteria. All condiments are prohibited, as they do not reflect the true quality of the cooked meat. Judging is based upon appearance, color, aroma, tenderness, taste and aftertaste.

8. TURN-IN TIME – Turn-in time is 3PM. No changes to turn-in time will be made. A turn-in window often (5) minutes before and after set turn-in time will be recognized. Judging trays received after that time will not be accepted for judging.

9. TERMS FOR DISQUALIFICATION – After the tray has been turned in, any tray found to be in violation of MART AREA LIONS CLUB rules, will be disqualified at the discretion of the “Head Judge”. Disqualified tray numbers will be called out immediately following the announcements.

To register, use the link/QR code.                      

https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/founders-day-rib-cook-off--2025