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BBQ Competitions

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2025 ROSE FESTIVAL BBQ COMPETITION - STATE CENTER, IOWA

7/4/2025

 
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By Steve Carfrae

STATE CENTER, IA (BBQ CRITIC) - ​It's the middle of June and that could only mean one thing. It's Rose Festival BBQ time!  So I headed to State Center Iowa, to judge some BBQ.

It was a hot one! There wasn't enough fans to keep that tent cool. What is cool, though, is that the Rose Festival BBQ is the longest running barbecue contest in Iowa. This will be the 24th annual event. 

Megan Willie does one heck of a job running this contest every year. But this year, she struggled to get the twenty five teams to be a jack qualifier. Then at the last minute, she delivered.

I started out on Friday night judging the kids BBQ contest. Let me tell you these kids can cook! The category was ground pork. I was amazed at what those kids could make. Two kids turned in burgers. Another turned in meatballs with BBQ sauce. The last competitor turned in bacon wrapped skewers.  All the entries were so delicious!


​On to Saturday. We had a milestone in the judges tent. Lyn Burks celebrated judging her 100th contest,  and she was chosen to recite the judges oath.

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Lyn Burks reciting the KCBS Judges Oath at her 100th competition

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Lyn Burks judging her 100thKCBS BBQ competition at the Rose Festival BBQ

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After the judges meeting concluded, we went on to judge the four meats - Chicken, Pork Ribs, Pork and Brisket. Not long after came the AWARDS. Here are the top winners of this event..

Grand Champion - Hot Daddy's BBQ
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Reserve Grand​ - Son of a Boar
​CHICKEN
1st  Hot Daddy's BBQ
2nd Son of  Boar BBQ
3rd  Home Farm BBQ

RIBS
1st  Wags Backwoods BBQ
2nd Crosscut BBQ
3rd  Dry 2 Da Bone
PORK
1st   Home Farm BBQ
2nd  Hot Daddy's BBQ
3rd   Boots BBQ

BRISKET
1st  When PIgs Die
2nd Son of a Boar BBQ
​3rd Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ

GRAND CHAMPION - Hot Daddy's BBQ

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RESERVE GRAND - Son of a Boar BBQ

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1ST CHICKEN - Hot Daddy's BBQ

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1ST RIBS - Wags Backwoods BBQ

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1ST PORK - Home Farm BBQ

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1ST BRISKET - When Pigs Die

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​That's a wrap on the 2025 Rose Festival BBQ. My last stop before heading home was for ice cream at STARBUCKS DRIVE-IN in Nevada. It was fantastic!
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STEVE CARFRAE
KCBS BBQ Judge
BBQ CRITIC Judge
​Pitmaster, LTS BBQ


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    ​Publisher, BBQ CRITIC

    ​BBQ Background:
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