April 12, 2009 Happy Easter BBQ Gang! Welcome to the unpredictable, wild and mildly remunerative world of the Illinois BBQ Society's Weekly(ish) eNewsletter. Thanks to your double-opt-in subscription; you'll now be receiving regular to semi-regular emails from ILBBQS. Perhaps even a random delivery or two to keep you on your toes. You might want to alert your spam nanny so that valuable information and critical news release information are not unduly delayed. Now to the good stuff. Here's what's going on the world of the Illinois BBQ Society... ~ Happy Easter ~ 2009 Kick-Off Cook-Off Classic ~ Randolph County Pig Party ~ 5th Annual Smokin' In The Park ~ Upcoming Non-Sanctioned/Backyard Contests... ~ Upcoming KCBS Contests... ~ Upcoming MBN Contests... ~ Upcoming Classes... For additional information on these stories, and more, be sure to visit the Illinois BBQ Society online at http://www.ILBBQS.com . x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x This eNewsletter brought to you by: Southwestern Illinois Spring Festival - Wamac, IL May 1 & 2 are the dates to remember for this Southwestern Illinois classic. Illinois' first qualifer for The Jack and The Royal. GREAT for the family! Carnival, Live Music, Arts & Crafts Fair, City Park Atmosphere, but SPACE IS LIMITED! For additional information, check out http://www.GoCentralia.com/springfestival . x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Happy Easter!! Remember the reason for the season. *************************************** CONTEST UPDATE... This in from Greg Wilkinson, Contest Organizer, of the 2009 Kick-Off Cook-Off Classic "After the first Kick-Off Cook-Off last year the feedback I received from the teams was awesome. I was asked about improving the power situation and more prize money. Not only are we doubled our prize guarantee this year ($4,000) but we will have enough electricity to light up the whole mall. We will have 20 am and 30 amp hookups available. We still have some spots left, but time is running short. April 24 is right around the corner! The cook’s meeting will be Friday at 5 p.m. in the judge’s tent. Turn-ins for the Friday night fun categories will be be: 6:30 – Pork Steak Throwdown 7:00 – Dessert Just like last year we will follow KCBS guidelines for entries with the exception of presentation/garnish. Make your presentation exciting! No Styrofoam boxes will be provided for these two entries. We will have 20 Amp service to each booth. We will turn the power on Friday morning let it run until the awards are about to start on Saturday afternoon. I do have some limited 30 Amp service reserved for the RVs first. Please let me know if you would like 30 Amp service as soon as possible. The St. Louis Mills is located at 5555 St. Louis Mills Blvd., Hazelwood, Mo. 63042. It is just off Missouri Highway 370. When you arrive at the Shopping Mall make a left at the stoplight and then the next right, from there we will guide you in to your spot. If you planning on showing up on Thursday evening please let me know. I will be onsite for a while Thursday evening but I would hate to leave before you arrive. If you are showing up on Friday, we will be there by 7:30 a.m. Good Luck to you and see you there! Greg Wilkinson Contest Organizer 2009 Kick-Off Cook-Off Phone: 314-629-4734 Email: gawilk@swbell.net" Visit their website at http://www.bbqsaucereport.com/contest for more information! *************************************** CONTEST UPDATE... Randolph County Pig Party ~ May 15th and 16th, 2009 3rd annual event in Downtown Steeleville. It Is again hosted by the Steeleville Improvement Association. As of this posting we have 30 verbal commitments and we are cutting it off at 40 teams this year. We will be giving an additional $2000 dollars in prize money if we hit 40 teams! Additional contest added on Friday night this year..."The Friday night Wing Ding!!"; additional prize money for this event. Call for more details or directions. Curt Jeffers 618-965-9615 Co-chairman curtislo@egyptian.net Jason Vallett 618-965-3414 Co-chairman jason@gregvallettautosales.com This event has grown every year and seems to be continuing this trend. We do our best to take great care of our participating teams and judges. Free ice, electric and water.  Campers and RV's are welcome but space is limited.....we will do our best to make this an annual stop for each and every team! Please call if you have any questions about this event. *************************************** CONTEST UPDATE... 5th ANNUAL SMOKIN' IN THE PARK COME SEE HOW WE'VE GROWN SATURDAY, JUNE 13th, 2009 DOWNTOWN LEROY 4 CATEGORIES; PORK RIBS (no country), PORK (shoulder, butt, or picnic), BEEF BRISKET, CHICKEN TROPHY - 1st - 5th place each category Cash Prize - 1st place per category........$100                    2nd place per category......$ 75                    3rd place per category.......$ 50 GRAND CHAMPION................Trophy & $175 (must enter all 4 categories for grand champion CONTACT: Hap & Becky Zook bjzook@verizon.net FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY American Legion Sat. morning breakfast...6AM - 10AM BBQ Vendors ~ Portrait painting ~ Face painting ~ Bounce House *************************************** Upcoming 2009 Non-Sanctioned/Backyard Contests... (All info & web addresses are posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> Contests/Events) ~ May 23 - The Bonifest Rib Cook-Off - Contact: Ryan Hentz, 110 N. Buchanan, Edwardsville, IL 62025 - Phone: 618-656-6450. Fax: 618-656-7669 - Email: bonifestbbq@yahoo.com ~ May 30 - Harvard, IL - 4th Annual Harvard Milk Days Outdoor Grilling Competition - Contact: Doug Hawthorne, Phone: 815-403-1266 - E-mail: Foodman52@aol.com ~ June 5 & 6 - Alton/Godfrey, IL - SPP Heavenly Smokers Backyard BBQ Cook-Off; Contact: Pete Williams, Phone: 618-407-6018, Email: pbkoas@charter.com ~ June 12 & 13 - LeRoy, IL - 5th Annual Smokin' in the Park - Contact: Hap & Becky Zook at 309-397-1815 - E-mail: bjzook@verizon.net ~ August 1 - Alma/Salem, IL - 3rd Annual Holy Smoke Backyard BBQ Cook-Off - Contact: Jim Reincke at 618-407-3300 - Online: http://www.gosalem.com/holysmoke - E-mail: rhino@banditbbq.com ~ Please check http://www.ILBBQS.com for current updates. *************************************** Upcoming 2009 KCBS Contests... (All info & web addresses are posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> Contests/Events) ~ April 24 & 25 - Hazelwood, Missouri - 2009 Kick-Off Cookoff Classic, Contact: Greg Wilkinson, Phone: 314-955-1104, E-Mail: gawilk@swbell.net ~ May 1 & 2 - Southwestern Illinois Spring Festival - Contact: Shane Swartzlander - Phone: (618) 533-5703 - E-mail: 2chubby@sbcglobal.net ~ May 8 & 9 - Edwardsville BBQ Challenge, Contact: Susan & Doc Richardson, Location: 1325 Schiller Avenue, Edwardsville, Illinois, 62025, Winston Brown Recreation Complex, Lower Hoppe Park, Phone: 618-696-9578 or 618-656-4300, Email: nick1059@aol.com ~ May 15 & 16 - The Randolph County Pig Party - Contact: Jason Vallett, 402 E. Broadway, Steeleville, IL 62288 - Phone: 618-965-3414 ~ Fax: 618-965-3177 - Email: jason@gregvallettautosales.com ~ May 23 & 24 - Red, White & Bar-B-Q - Contact: Jim Addington, 337 E. Traube Street, Westmont, IL 60559 - Phone: 630-443-2013 Fax: 630.443-2017 - E-mail: jaddington@ambankqc.com ~ May 29 & 30 - Anything Goes Fair, Barbecue and Blues - Contact: Paul Mizeur, 108 W Market / PO Box 350, Taylorville, IL 62568 - Phone: 217-287-1876 Fax: 217-287-1876 - Email: paul.mizeur@usbank.com ~ June 6 & 7 - Flat Branch Bar-B-Q in the Park - Contact: Al Long, 2602 East 1800 North Road, Moweaqua, IL 62550 - Phone: 217-768-4663 - E-mail: BABBQ@shelbywb.coop . ~ June 19 & 20 - Elk Grove Rotary Ribfest - Contact: Ron Nunes, 701 E. Irving Park Rd, Ste. 200, Roselle, IL 60172 - Phone: 630-307-8744 ~ Fax: 630-307-8755 - E-mail: rnunes9457@aol.com ~ July 10 & 11 - Illinois State Championship & Butt to Butt Pork Invitational - Contact: Connie Smith, 301 E. Sunrise Drive, Shannon, IL 61078 - Phone: 816-864-2542 ~ Fax: 815-864-2825 - E-mail: rrribs@frontiernet.net ~ September 24 to 26 - Murphysboro Barbeque Cook-Off - Contact: Gary Strothmann, PO Box 382, Murphysboro, IL 62966 - Phone: 618-684-8902, Fax: 618-687-4311 - Email: catering17@egyptian.com ~ October 9 & 10 - Super City Blues & Ques - Contact: Priscilla Abell, 106 W. 5th Street, Metropolis, IL 62960 - Phone: 618-524-1696 Fax: 618-524-2582 - Email: metropolisparks@verizon.net ~ October 16 & 17 - King City BBQ Showdown - Contact: Troy Heitmeyer, 104 N. 9th Street, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864 - Phone: 618-242-4020 x 15 ~ Fax: 618-242-3383 - E-mail: troy@cmacsoft.com ~ October 16 & 17 - Barn Burner BarBQ at Lamb's Farm - Contact: Claudia Stevens, 14245 W. Rockland Rd, Libertyville, IL 60048 - Phone: 847-990-3750 ~ Fax: 847-362-0742 - E-mail: crs@lambsfarm.org ~ Please check http://www.ILBBQS.com for current updates. *************************************** Upcoming 2009 Memphis BBQ Network Contests... (All info & web addresses are posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> Contests/Events) ~ September 11 & 12 - Wabash Ribberfest State Barbecue Championship, Contact: Chuck Johnson, 5 Lambert Place, Mt. Carmel, IL 62863, Phone: 618-262-6822, Email: cjohnson@shawneelink.net ~ September 24 to 26 - Murphysboro Barbeque Cook-Off - Contact: Gary Strothmann, PO Box 382, Murphysboro, IL 62966 - Phone: 618-684-8902, Fax: 618-687-4311 - Email: catering17@egyptian.com ~ Please check http://www.ILBBQS.com for current updates. *************************************** Upcoming Certified BBQ Judge's and Certified Table Captain's Classes... (All info posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> BBQ Classes) ~ None currently scheduled. (That I know of...if you know of any, let me know!) *************************************** Upcoming BBQ Cooking Classes... (All info posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> BBQ Classes) ~ May 2nd, 2009 - Beef Tenderloin and Pork Tenderloin - The Backyard Barbeque Store, Wilmette, Illinois - Instructor Chris Marks, Jr. - Fee: $65, Start Time: 12noon - http://www.BackyardBBQStore.com *************************************** These stories, and more, can be found online at http://www.ILBBQS.com . Most of the stories online have active links for ease of finding more information...be sure to visit the website for your full ILBBQS experience! If you have a BBQ related news item you would like to share with the group, be sure to send it in! There is an easy-to-use 'Submit News' button on our website at http://www.ILBBQS.com ...use it often! As always, if you have any pictures, stories, news items, comments, suggestions, questions, or ideas, let me know! Carpe 'Que, Jim Rhino