RIDGEWAY, SC (WOLO) — Just after not currently being held previous year, South Carolina’s largest barbecue cook-off returned to Fairfield County.

Volunteers from regional churches support put it on and element of the funds raised from the celebration goes to assistance these churches’ Christmas money.

Dixon: “It’s just tranquil. Everyone gets along. No trouble, just loving like a spouse and children.”

The town of all over 300 individuals welcomed hundreds as barbecue fans headed to Ridgeway this past weekend.

“We had 49 cook groups and we are setting up on cooking 1,020 Boston butts,” mentioned Henry Dixon, who is on the Pig On the Ridge steering committee. 

The function begun as a way of celebrating the town’s 200 anniversary, but has now been all-around for a lot more than two a long time. It welcomes competitors from all more than the Carolinas.

“There’s so a lot of fantastic types. You can discover mustard, ketchup and vinegar based,” Dixon explained. “You’ll discover what you like ideal right here.”

With so a lot of gifted barbecue competition groups fighting for awards, your flavor buds end up winning in the finish.

“What will make fantastic barbecue? Nearly anything without having sauce on it. It doesn’t require sauce if it is great,” claimed Tony Crout, proprietor of Doko Smoke Barbecue in Blythewood.

Crout remembers his initial Pig On the Ridge back in 2001.

“We began for the fellowship of it, obtaining a great time, me and a couple buddies having jointly and developing our initial cooker,” he remembers. “Just had a superior time with it. In 2012, we bought 2nd put in the beginner division. Then we had been like, ‘Maybe we know what we’re carrying out.’ It just took off from there.”

In 2014, he opened the Doko Smoke cafe.

He says he’s  gotten a large amount better about the yrs thanks to some of the other competitors.

“I assistance other groups as very well. Around the a long time, I’ve sat all around and talked to these men at evening,” Crout said. “Everybody will share their minor tidbits of points to get forward. They may possibly not tell you anything but they’ll enable.”

Saturday highlighted are living tunes and a road dance, craft income, a auto parade and of system the meat that can take a even though to get ready.

“We trim it up. Check out to get some of the body fat off it….