Barbecue contest deadlines fast approaching

Photo by Mike Eckels Contestants waited on stage at Veterans Park for the crowning of the 2016 Miss Decatur Barbecue in Decatur on Aug. 6, 2016. The deadline to enter the 2017 contest will be August 1.
Photo by Mike Eckels Contestants waited on stage at Veterans Park for the crowning of the 2016 Miss Decatur Barbecue in Decatur on Aug. 6, 2016. The deadline to enter the 2017 contest will be August 1.

— This year's Decatur Barbecue, sponsored by the Decatur Chamber of Commerce, promises to have something for everybody. The August 5 event will feature a softball tournament, disc golf demonstration and the traditional Miss Decatur Barbecue and Tiny Tots pageants. But the deadlines to enter these events are fast approaching.

There will be a few changes to this year's Miss Decatur Barbecue contest. The entry fee, which was $25 last year, was reduced to $10 in hopes of getting more contestants. The times for the two sections of the contest have also been changed. In past events, the contest began at 6:30 p.m. for the casual wear and 7:30 p.m. for the formal wear and announcement of winners. This year, the time for the casual was moved to 5 p.m. with the formal portion of the contest at 6:30 p.m. on August 5.

The Miss Decatur Barbecue contest is open to girls ages 15-19. A cash scholarship of $500 will be awarded to this year's winner. All contestants will be required to participate in the Decatur Barbecue Parade.

Applications are available on Facebook on the "Miss Decatur BBQ" page or by contacting Kelsey Painter at 479-644-8311. Entry deadline is August 1.

August 1 is also the entry deadline for the Mister and Miss Decatur Tiny Tot contest. Like the Miss Decatur pageant, the Tiny Tot time has been moved to 4:30 p.m. August 5. For entry information, contact Elicia Williamson at 479-957-3309.

Other contests with entry deadlines include the 5K run, softball tournament and car show. For more information on each of these events, contact Ladale Clayton at 479-372-8632 for the 5K, Greg Austin at 479-212-1829 for the softball tournament, and Dale Harris at 479-490-2544 for the car show.

General News on 06/28/2017