Holy Smokes Barbecue Festival Returns on November 19th

Credit: Jonathan Boncek

Press Release

In 2016, Jim Shahin of the Washington Post wrote, “I’ve seen the future of barbecue, and it is Charleston, S.C.” The city’s barbecue star has only continued to rise, as practitioners of traditional styles from around the South have teamed up with veterans of Charleston’s acclaimed fine dining kitchens to create a unique barbecue hot spot. 

“There‘s no barbecue destination today quite like Charleston,” says Robert F. Moss, the Contributing Barbecue Editor for Southern Living and restaurant critic for the Post & Courier. “And there’s no barbecue festival quite like Holy Smokes.”

To build upon that energy Moss joined Aaron Siegel and Taylor Garrigan of Home Team BBQ and Anthony DiBernardo of Swig & Swine to organize the annual event, which will be held Saturday, November 19th at North Charleston’s Riverfront Park. 

In less than 10 days, the second edition of Holy Smokes: A Lowcountry Barbecue Festival will bring to the Lowcountry a world-class lineup of pitmasters and chefs to celebrate the long-running American barbecue tradition and the unique contributions of the South Carolina Lowcountry. 

A ticket to Holy Smokes includes all you can eat plates from four barbecue villages: Texas, Traditional, New School and the newest addition, Coastal. Expect to taste slow smoked whole hog, pork ribs, Texas-style brisket, smoked sausage, smoked shrimp and grits, a smoked sirloin taco, and more from 30 of the country’s best pitmasters. Guests will enjoy live music by 49 Winchester, Travers Brothership, and Warrick McZeke. The festival is benefiting Hogs for the Cause, MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House of Charleston—all nonprofits supporting families battling pediatric cancer. 

Guests can head to holysmokeschs.com to grab a ticket to a barbecue experience to remember, but they need to move fast as there are just a small number of General Admission tickets remaining. 

Moss is available for interviews to discuss the remarkable rise of the Charleston barbecue scene and the goals and mission of Holy Smokes.

PITMASTER LINE-UP: 

Anthony DiBernardo of Swig & Swine, Charleston, SC 

Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker, Nashville, TN 

Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Decatur. AL 

Michael Bessinger of Bessinger’s BBQ, Charleston, SC 

Pat Martin of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, Nashville, TN 

Rodney Scott of Rodney Scott’s BBQ, Charleston, SC 

Sam Jones of Sam Jones BBQ, Winterville, NC 

Andrew Muñoz of Moo’s Craft Barbecue, Los Angeles, CA 

Arnis & Mallory Robbins of Evie Mae’s Pit Barbecue, Wolfforth, TX 

Chris Fultz of ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque, Richmond, VA 

Cody Sperry of Hoodoo Brown Barbeque, Ridgefield, CT 

Leonard Botello IV of TRUTH BBQ, Houston, TX 

Patrick Feges, Feges BBQ, Houston, TX 

Stephen Franklin of DAS BBQ, Atlanta, GA 

Billy Durney of Hometown Bar-B-Que, Brooklyn, NY 

Harrison Sapp & Griffin Bufkin of Southern Soul Barbeque, St. Simons Island, GA Jonathan & Justin Fox of Fox Bros Bar-B-Q, Atlanta, GA 

Madison Ruckel of Mama Jean’s Barbecue, Roanoke, VA 

Ronnie Evans & Philip Moseley of Blue Oak BBQ, New Orleans, LA 

Tank Jackson of Holy City Hogs, Charleston, SC 

Evan LeRoy of LeRoy and Lewis BBQ, Austin, TX 

Jamie Hough of Zero Forks Given, Charleston, SC 

Leslie Roark Scott of Ubon’s Restaurant, Yazoo City, MS 

Matt Register of Southern Smoke BBQ, Garland, NC 

Elliott Moss of Regina’s, Asheville, NC 

Aaron Siegel & Taylor Garrigan of Home Team BBQ, Charleston, SC 

VIP CHEFS 

Ben Berryhill of Red Drum, Charleston, SC 

Kevin Mitchell of Chefscholar LLC, Charleston, SC 

Ryan Prewitt of Pêche Seafood , New Orleans, LA 

Shuai & Corrie Wang of KING BBQ, North Charleston, SC 

Geoff Rhyne of Red Clay Provisions, Greenville, SC 

Jacques Larson of Wild Olive/The Obstinate Daughter, Johns Island, SC 

Patty Floersheimer & Trudi Wagner of goat. sheep. cow., Charleston, SC 

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