• Noon
  • Gates Open
• 12:30pm
  • Rib Awards
• 1pm
  • Country Showdown
• 5pm
  • Festival Closes
• Events Presented By:

Rib Contest Awards

At 12:30pm winners of "Best Ribs," "Best Sauce," and "People's Choice" will be crowned at the Awards Ceremony. It will be up to Huntington to decide who takes home the year's most sought-after "People's Choice" prize, while a panel of secret judges will deliberate over who deserves the titles of "Best Ribs & Sauce".

Texaco Country Showdown

The Country Showdown begins each Spring with over 450 local talent contests sponsored by country music radio stations throughout the US. Winners advance to their respective State competitions held at leading fairs and expositions. Acts then compete for a $1,000 prize, the State Title and the opportunity to advance to one of five Regional Finals. It's the last step before the prestigious National Final held at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. The audience cheers on the Regional Winners, as they compete for the Grand Prize of $100,000 and the National Title. A uniform judging system is used at all levels of competition to ensure fairness.