Competitive Team Space Information

Team Registration for our 2024 event is NOW OPEN!

We are now accepting Competitive Team Registrations! If you are interested in participating in this year’s event, you may download the application by CLICKING HERE.

As is our long-standing tradition, the Best Dam Barbecue Challenge will once again be held on the Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, which is May 24th and 25th in 2024.

The Cook’s Meeting will be at 5:00pm on Friday. Our event is open to the public from 2:00pm – 10:00pm on Friday and from 9:00am – 4:00pm on Saturday.

This annual event is held in the historic Bicentennial Park of Boulder City, Nevada. More than half of our team spaces will once again be located on both sides of Colorado Avenue, all of which are green grass adjacent and create a great atmosphere for our competitors, vendors, sponsors and guests. Additional team spaces will be located on California Street and in the parking lot adjacent to the turn-in location.

Electricity is provided in some areas of our event for a $60 per 50 amp outlet fee (for use of the City’s spider boxes) and generators (both in-vehicle and free standing) are permitted at the Best Dam Barbecue Challenge. Free standing generators must operate at 90 decibels or below, be surrounded by a (small garden) fence to avoid a trip hazard and be located a minimum of 20’ from the cooking source/flame).

The City of Boulder City requires all food vendors and competition team booths to be equipped with a 5 lb. ABC fire extinguisher with a current stamp (2024). Your fire extinguishers must be in plain view and easily accessible, in case of emergency. Smoking within vendor spaces is prohibited. Boulder City Fire Department will conduct inspections prior to and during the event to ensure compliance.

With a total of 41 team spaces available, areas are assigned on a first-come-first-reserved basis and specific space assignments will be made at load-in.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us by CLICKING HERE.

Cash Prize and Award Distribution

Our Prize Purse is $8,500!

Our total prize purse is $8,500 with our Grand Champion winning $1,800 and our Reserve Grand Champion winning $900.

The cash prize payouts for our four Individual Meat Competitions are paid out through 10th Place as detailed below:

Grand Champion Prize

  • $1,800 Cash Prize
  • Grand Champion Trophy
  • Qualification into The Jack
  • Qualification into The American Royal

Reserve Grand Champion Prize

  • $900 Cash Prize
  • Reserve Grand Champion Trophy

Individual Meat Competition Prizes

  • First Place: $300 and First Place Trophy
  • Second Place: $225 and medal
  • Third Place: $200 and medal
  • Fourth Place: $175 and medal
  • Fifth Place: $150 and medal
  • Sixth Place: $125
  • Seventh Place: $100
  • Eighth Place: $75
  • Ninth Place: $50
  • Tenth Place: $50

Qualification for The Jack & American Royal

And as if the cash prizes, trophies, medals and “the walk” weren’t enough, the Best Dam Barbecue is proud to have a “Nevada State Barbecue Championship” proclamation, making it a qualifier for the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue – also known as “The Jack”, as well as the American Royal World Series of Barbecue Event.

We will provide our Grand Champion with all required information and verification for both contests.

Contest Representatives & KCBS Judges

Our KCBS contest representatives this year are Kelly and Kathleen McIntosh. They have assisted with our event from its very first year and always help us to make it a great experience for our competitors and judges.  Also, because we believe strongly that a quality competition requires the highest standards in judging, we have been able to achieve a 100% KCBS Certified Barbecue Judge ranking at all of our contests in recent years.

Proceeds From Our Event

The Best Dam Barbecue Challenge is the primary fundraising event for the Rotary Club of Boulder City. With a charter date of 1937, our club is the oldest Rotary Club in Southern Nevada and we are proud that our long tradition of community service is as strong today as it was when the club began.

Proceeds from the Best Dam Barbecue go to support a wide variety of local community organizations in Boulder City, which we have detailed out on our Event History & Proceeds page here!