Urban BBQ Festival | Hastings

Saturday November 23rd

Waikoko Gardens, Tomoana Showgrounds, Hastings

11am – 6pm

Tickets on sale now through Eventbrite

BBQ lovers are in for more meaty goodness in November when the Urban BBQ Festival returns to Tomoana Showgrounds, Hastings.

Once again the Demo Stage hosts a full afternoon of demonstrations that will take your pitmaster skills to the next level. Butterfly a leg of lamb, serve some smokey cocktails and cheese, master ribs and brisket, and get that crackling crispy on a homemade porchetta.

Watch and learn, ask the tough questions, and sample the goodness at the end of each session.

If you miss a demo hit the Cook Zone, where our pitmasters will be chilling and grilling when they’re not on stage, cooking up tasty morsels from supporters Swift Ribs, Atkin’s Ranch, First Light and The Classic Butcher.

There’ll be more grills on the go in the BBQ Supplies area, where crews from Traeger, Fourth Element and Turfrey will be cooking up a storm alongside saucy tastings from Wild Bill’s, beautiful chopping boards from the Board Chef, and top notch blades from the team at Kentmaster.

But the real stars of the show are the BBQ vendors. Get your barbecue passports out and get ready to travel!

First stop the mighty US of A, with Texas-style goodness from local legends Black Betty Barbecue, wood smoked American classics from Bareknuckle Barbeque and a whole menu of mac n cheese from the MacDaddy. Then we head down the Americas to Argentina, for a taste of Fire by Facundo. Next stop Japan, where Piku are firing up the robata grill, then Greece and the Middle East courtesy of Gina’s Truck, and finally back to Godsown, for a date with BBQ Gourmet and their giant charcoal kettles.

There’s more BBQ than you can shake a spit at, as well as sweet treats from Mr Whippy… if you’ve got any space left to fill.

Organiser Jim Poppelwell says: “We were blown away by last year’s turnout and can’t wait to do it all again, with added extras. The wrestlers stole the show last time but they’ve got some stiff competition, with The Rock Zone sure to be super popular.

With new demos and an awesome range of BBQ goodness on offer we’re really looking forward to another epic day of meat, music and BBQ mayhem!”

Throughout the day festival goers can catch live music from Jack Knife Beat and Joe Cole, take sides in epic battles in the IPW wrestling ring, and prove their power on The Rock Beat the Bar challenge. And for the true masochists, the chilli eating comp kicks off at 4:30pm sharp.

So grab a tasty beverage from the Craft Bar, IPA Tent or Sacred Hill Wine Garden, a massive portion of juicy BBQ, and strap in for the day.

Poppelwell continues: “The BBQ scene here in the Bay continues to grow, and we’re stoked to be able to pull it all together for the growing number of local and out-of-town BBQ lovers. We’re excited to feature the finest products from local producers First Light Foods, Atkin’s Ranch and The Classic Butcher, alongside top quality imported brands such as Swift Ribs, BBQ brands Weber, Traeger and Green Mountain Grills, pitmasters from comp teams Heavy Kettle Smokers and Backcountry BBQ, along with Wellington legend Clint from Black Dog BBQ.

“Big thanks go to our supporters Hastings District Council, Napier City Council and The Rock for their help. As with most events, this truly is a team effort.

The Urban BBQ Festival is an all ages event, with under 14s tickets free with an accompanying parent or guardian. Tickets are on sale now, with Super Early Bird at $20, Early Bird at $25, General Admission at $30 until the morning of the event, and gate sales at the venue for $35. So get in early to grab yourself a bargain!