The Big T Memorial BBQ Cookoff & Music Festival is this weekend! Come out to celebrate and raise money for children with special needs on Friday and Saturday, September 7th & 8th at the Freestone County Fairgrounds.

Title Sponsor for the event is the City of Fairfield.

Proceeds benefit children with special needs in Freestone, Anderson, Navarro, Leon, & Limestone Counties.

This year there will be a Lone Star BBQ sanctioned event. Prize money and trophies total a whopping $10,000! First Place through Tenth Place in each category will receive prize money, as will Grand Champion and Reserve Champion.

Fee to enter is $200 per team and allows entry into any or all of the three categories: Brisket, Pork Ribs, and Chicken.

There will also be a Cook’s Choice Calcutta on Friday evening. Entry fee is $20 and winning team gets 80% of the pot.

A second Calcutta competition will be held Saturday for Beans. Entry fee is $20 and winning team takes 80% of the pot.

Teams may enter online or the day of the event. All rules are available online (website below).

Winners will be announced and prizes awarded on Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m.

New this year is a Kids’ Cooking Event on Saturday. They will be serving up creative takes on the classic slider. Rules and entry forms are available online.

Musical lineup for Friday night includes Blacktop Mojo & JB And The Moonshine Band. Bands take the stage beginning at 9:00 p.m.

Saturday night’s entertainment features Mitch Ballard with D. Vincent Williams and Chris Kirkpatrick (of NSYNC); Cameron Nelson; and Little Texas. Music starts at 6:00 p.m.

Gates open at 5:00 p.m. each night.

Friday night tickets are $15 each; Saturday night entry is $20 each.

Weekend Passes ($25) and VIP Passes ($60) are available online through Saturday, September 1st.

There will be food trucks on site both nights offering a variety of concessions to satisfy your appetite.

Due to permitting issues with the City of Fairfield, the Beer Garden will not be available as originally planned. Big T Memorial apologizes for the confusion and inconvenience.

If you love playing 42, there is one more reason for you to join the fun on Saturday. The first ever 42 Tournament, sponsored by XTO Energy Farrar Production Office, will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Green Barn. Registration starts at 5:00 and entry is $20 per person.

Tickets for the big raffle are on sale now, and may also be purchased at the event. The raffle offers up three great prizes:

1) Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar signed by the 2018 Big T Bands, plus Whiskey Meyers, Josh Ward, Bleu Edmondson, Scooter Brown, Bri Bagwell, Jody Booth, Stormy Cooper, & More!

2) Ride Along with CAF – Coyote Squadron in the Pride of Corsicana PT-19 WW2 open cockpit training aircraft for 30-45 minutes. Must be 18-years-old to ride.

3) All Inclusive Guided Hog Hunt for two on the F.E. Hill Ranch with Trinity River bottoms and rolling hillsides.

Need not be present to win. First drawn will receive first choice. Second drawn gets second choice; and Third drawn takes final prize.

Raffle tickets are $20 each or 6 for $100. They can be purchased at the event or from any member of the Golden Circle Special Needs Association: Leldon Childs, Jeff or Matt Kirgan, Nicole Schaefer, Garret Scherer, Shannon & Butch Margraves, and Heather & Justin Hawkins.

Volunteers are still needed for the event. If you are interested in helping out in anyway, please contact one of the board members listed above.

Other events scheduled that weekend are the Fairfield Citywide Garage Sale, the Annual Car Show on the Square in Fairfield, and the Annual State Coon Hunt.

To find out more about this event, to register your cook team, or purchase event tickets, visit http://bigtmemorial.com/ or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bigtmemorialcookoff.

Gather you friends and family, some lawn chairs, and your pocket book, and come out for a weekend of fun, food, and music!