Thousands expected for Kinston's 41st annual BBQ Fest on the Neuse in downtown
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Following last year's scaled down event due to COVID-19, BBQ Fest on the Neuse promises to be in full effect for this year's 41st annual festival, which organizers say is the largest whole hog cook-off contest in the world.
BBQ Fest on the Neuse will be held from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. May 6 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 7 throughout several blocks of Downtown Kinston between Pearson Park and Queen Street starting at King Street, ending at Blount Street. This is a rain or shine event.
Parking will be available throughout downtown Kinston with public parking lots that will have designated signs. The festival area and streets will be closed to vehicles and parking. Handicapped parking will be available on Friday off East North Street and on Saturday off West Blount and East Caswell streets.
Shuttle service will be available on Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Locations for shuttle stops will be Grainger Stadium, Herritage Street/Blount Street, and Queen Street/North Street.
Admission is free, but local businesses and festival vendors will be on site selling food, drinks, arts and crafts and other products. BBQ plates will be available for purchase at the BBQ Chop Tent on Herritage Street across from the Farmer's Market on Saturday from 11 a.m. until it is sold out.
Other local restaurants will also be open to customers. For a list of those businesses, go to visitkinston.com.
Kinston BBQ Fest music and entertainment
Country music singer Niko Moon, an artist signed to Sony Music Nashville/RCA Nashville will be the featured performer. Moon’s hits include “Good Time” which has more than 46,000,000 impressions online and all his songs can be heard on WRNS, including “No Sad Songs” and “Paradise to Me”. Moon has also written songs for Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown Band, Rascal Flatts, and Morgan Wallen.
Moon will perform at 8:30 p.m. Friday on the Herritage Street stage. Fireworks will immediately follow the concert.
There will be musical and dance performances by a variety of artists during both days including Big City, The Wicked Shimmies, Chris Hagan Band, Straightwire Band, Wood & Steel Band, Paige King Johnson, Autumn Tyde Beach and Party Band, Mooves Dance Studio, Studio 86, Dance Etc., Matt Letch, Nick & Dean Acoustic and The Wicked Shimmies. For performance times and locations, visit kinstonbbq.com.
Children will surely enjoy a visit with Flimsy the Clown at The Fun Zone Dance Party on Friday night and meeting Maribel Madrigal from Disney’s Encanto on Saturday. Additional activities for children include bounce houses, giant slides, a dunk tank, a basketball game and cotton candy machines.
Other activities include a Carolina Classic Cruisers Car & Truck Show, CSS Neuse II Tours, free admission to CSS Neuse Museum and helicopter tours from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday from Pearson Park.
Kinston Mayor’s Golden Key Award Ceremony will be held at 12:30 p.m. Saturday on the Herritage Street Stage.
Only service animals are allowed at the festival.
For more information, call 252-523-2500 or 252-522-0004.
This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Kinston Barbecue festival to feature country music singer Niko Moon
