Food, Live Music, Axe Throwing, And More At MD State BBQ Bash

BEL AIR, MD — Mark your calendar for the 2025 MD State BBQ Bash, a food and fun-filled street festival in downtown Bel Air.

The annual event will be Oct. 10-11 at 2 S. Bond St., which is one of Harford County's biggest events of the year and includes the Maryland State BBQ Championship with more than 25 competition teams from the Mid-Atlantic area and beyond competing for cash prizes and the chance to compete in the annual Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and The American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri.

Forty amateur teams will compete in the MD State BBQ Bash Tailgate Challenge to see who has the best ribs and chicken while competing for cash, prizes and bragging rights. The Tailgate Challenge is ran and judged under the rules of the Kansas City Barbecue Society.

There also will be award-winning BBQ to sample, food trucks, live music from local and national acts, activities for all ages including axe throwing for adults and a cornhole tournament, opportunities to shop official merchandise and from artisan vendors, two beer gardens and more. All tips made in each section from alcohol sales will be donated to nonprofit groups.

The event's hours on Oct. 10 are from 4 to 10 p.m. and Oct. 11 from noon to 10 p.m. The event will be held rain or shine.