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$150 WEEKEND deposit or Payment in full are required to hold your space

The 2025 Campground BBQ Series will include 6 contest weekends, consisting of 12 Masters contests and 4 Backyard contests, as well as 1-Meat contests and optional ancillary categories. Scroll to the bottom to complete the online team application. Once submitted, you will be directed to the Team Checkout. Choose the contests you want to compete in, select the appropriate options for each contest, and add each individual item to your cart before checking out. No space will be held without either deposit or payment in full, no matter if you are new to the Campground Series or a long-term participant.

Here are the 2025 dates, locations, contest types and deadlines for the official Campground BBQ Series:

  • April 11-13: Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown, Bristol CT – SAT & SUN Masters, 1-Meat Chicken, 1-Meat Ribs, Amusement Park Food Ancillary — DEADLINE: March 15, 2025

  • May 2-4 [NEW 2025 DATE DUE TO EASTER]: New Jersey KnoQ-out, Blairstown NJ – SAT & SUN Masters, SAT & SUN Backyard, 1-Meat Chicken, 1-Meat Ribs, Taylor Ham Ancillary — DEADLINE: March 15, 2025

  • May 30 - June 1 [RETURNING LOCATION]: Granite State BBQ Championship, Hancock NH – SAT & SUN Masters, 1-Meat Chicken, 1-Meat Ribs, Dessert Ancillary — DEADLINE: April 15, 2025

  • Sept. 12-14 [NEW 2025 DATE]: Nor’Easter BBQ Showdown, Southwick MA – SAT & SUN Masters, 1-Meat Chicken, 1-Meat Ribs, Red Chili Ancillary — DEADLINE: August 15, 2025

  • Sept. 19-21 [NEW 2025 DATE]: Green Mountain BBQ Championship, Braintree VT – SAT & SUN Masters, 1-Meat Chicken, 1-Meat Ribs, White Chili Ancillary — DEADLINE: August 15, 2025

  • Oct. 24-26 [NEW 2025 DATE; RETURNING LOCATION]: Red White & Q, Jackson NJ – SAT & SUN Masters, SAT & SUN Backyard, 1-Meat Chicken, 1-Meat Ribs, BBQ From My Homeland Ancillary, Turkey Smoke Ancillary — DEADLINE: October 1, 2025

The following 2025 events are not held are campgrounds, but are managed by the Campground BBQ team:

  • August 1-3 [NEW EVENT]: Grand American Barbecue World Championship, Port Jervis NY – SAT Masters World Championship Invitational, SUN Masters NY State Championship Open — DEADLINE: May 31, 2025 — Apply separately at www.GrandAmBBQ.com

The Grand Am

The Grand American Barbecue World Championship is a 2-day BBQ festival consisting of both an Invitational and Open competition for Masters (4-meat) teams, sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS). The Grand Am takes place at New Century Film located in Port Jervis, New York, on August 2-3, 2025. More than 70 teams are expected each day. Apply separately at www.GrandAmBBQ.com/Teams.

  • The Saturday Invitational World Championship will have a $50,000 Purse ($15,000 to Grand / $7,500 to Reserve) and is open to any team that has won a Masters Grand or Reserve Grand Championship from a KCBS qualifying state championship contest between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2025. The purse will pay out to 5th place overall and to 10th place for individual categories.

  • The Sunday Open New York State Championship will have a $15,000 Purse ($2,000 to Grand / $1,700 to Reserve) and be a national qualifier for the Jack and American Royal. It is open to any Masters team. The purse will pay out to 5th place overall and to 10th place for individual categories.

GET YOUR CAMPGROUND BBQ MERCH!!

T-shirts, hoodies, insulated bags, aprons, glassware — we’ve got it all, including the “concert-style” 2025 series T’s and hoodies.

CLICK HERE for Team Checkout Page

BASIC INFORMATION:

  • INCLUDED: Each contest's entry fee includes (1) night’s stay at a campground with water, 20+ amp electric, bathrooms, hot showers, and sewage/dump station. Most campsites are approximately 30'x30'. Teams are responsible for providing their own meat, supplies and preparation equipment.

  • ELIGIBILITY: Teams must enter the 4 main Masters categories to be eligible for Grand and Reserve Grand Champion.

  • KCBS RULES: Click here for 2024 KCBS RULES & REGULATIONS

  • FEES: The general price for one contest will be $355 for Masters or $230 for Backyard; teams participating in a weekend double get a discount of $345 each for Masters or $220 each for Backyard.

  • DEPOSIT REQUIREMENT: Campground BBQ cannot hold space for ANY team without at least a $150 nonrefundable deposit per contest weekend. Payment is due within 7 days of the team’s application. We understand things happen and are very flexible in working with teams to move deposits around, but cannot absorb last-minute drop-outs. The remainder of fees must be paid in full 30 days prior to each contest — we will send out a Paypal invoice but prefer Venmo or cash to avoid credit card fees.

  • BACKYARD CONTEST: Both NJ contest weekends will offer dedicated Backyard Contests with Chicken and Pork Ribs categories, with participating teams eligible for Backyard Grand and Reserve Grand Champion.

    • FIRST-TIMERS: We like to foster new teams, so contact us if you're interested in only doing a few categories. First-time teams are invited to enter 1 to 3 categories at a pro-rated price to "get their feet wet." They will be judged in the Masters contest but new teams who have done this found it extremely helpful to see how they place against more experienced teams, and are able to talk to their peers about how to improve their cook. Individual category price includes (1) campground night and are $165 for 1 category; $235 for 2; $300 for 3.

  • ONE-MEAT CONTESTS: The Master of Chicken and Master of Ribs contests are single-meat contests open to both Masters and Backyard teams, giving them an opportunity to try out new flavor profiles and get instant feedback that can be used for the next day’s cook. The cost is $125 with an 8-team minimum per contest, and pays out as noted below. Teams can earn category TOY points by participating.

  • ANCILLARY CATEGORY: Most contest weekends offer an optional 5th category; teams must provide all supplies unless noted otherwise, and the category is an additional $25 fee, which will pay out to 3rd place. 8 team minimum required.

  • TEAM CANCELLATION POLICY: Change of plans, work, wedding, etc. – NO REFUND and forfeiture of deposit. Death in family, emergency surgery, wreck, military deployment – FULL REFUND minus deposit. Any team that has paid and cannot attend can: 1) Rollover entry to another Campground BBQ contest or to next year; 2) Sell entry to another team and notify us who will take your place; or 3) IF we sell out all team spaces AND have a team wanting to get in, we’ll refund you after the new team has paid. Any entries rolled over to next year are still liable for a $100 deposit per contest.

  • CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY: Campground BBQ provides an experience that should be safe and free from threatening and intimidating conduct, including aggressive behavior, bullying, or loud and obnoxious vocalizing. We have a ZERO TOLERANCE policy toward any team whose members exhibit violence or threats of violence of any form; those teams will be asked to leave immediately without refund and will not be invited to another Campground Series contest. Please respect our hosts and your fellow teams.

  • DEADLINES: Masters & Backyard contests generally have a deadline of 4-6 weeks prior, and 1-Meat contests and Ancillary categories have a 1-week deadline, but see the specific dates above. Any contests that do not hit their minimum team requirement by that date will be canceled and all fees refunded. Any contests canceled due to COVID restrictions will not be rescheduled and all fees will be refunded.

  • CAMPGROUND CUP: Both Masters and Backyard teams can compete in their own “Campground Cup” — the official championship of the Campground BBQ Series. This opportunity will be open to teams who compete in at least (5) Masters or (3) Backyard Campground BBQ Series KCBS contests. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

  • PRIZE PURSE - MASTERS CONTESTS: The prize purse for each Masters contest starts at $2,500 with a 15-team minimum, and then increases for every 5 teams according to the following levels:

    • 15 teams = $2,500 (paid to 5th place per category) — $650 GC / $450 RGC / $90 1st

    • 20 teams = $3,000 (paid to 5th place per category) — $800 GC / $600 RGC / $100 1st

    • 25 teams = $4,000 (paid to 8th place per category) — $900 GC / $700 RGC / $120 1st

    • 30 teams = $5,000 (paid to 8th place per category) — $1,050 GC / $850 RGC / $140 1st

    • 35 teams = $6,000 (paid to 10th place per category) — $1,200 GC / $1,000 RGC / $250 #3 overall / $150 1st

    • 40 teams = $7,000 (paid to 10th place per category) — $1,300 GC / $1,100 RGC / $400 #3 overall / $180 1st

    • 45+ teams = $8,000 (paid to 12th place per category) — $1,500 GC / $1,200 RGC / $600 #3 overall / $180 1st

  • PRIZE PURSE - BACKYARD AND 1-MEAT CONTESTS: The prize purse for each Backyard and 1-Meat (Master of Chicken/Ribs) contest is as follows, with a 10-team minimum for Backyard and 8-team minimum for 1-Meat contests:

    • 1-MEAT: 8 teams = $600 (paid to 3rd place)

    • 10 teams = $750 (paid to 5th place per category)

    • 15 teams = $1,250 (paid to 8th place per category)

    • 20 teams = $1,750 (paid to 10th place per category)

    • 25+ teams = $2,500 (paid to 10th place per category)

TEAM APPLICATION

* REQUIRED FIELDS

Indicate below the 2025 contests in which you would like to compete. Teams do not have to apply and pay for all contests at once, but must re-apply later if they add contests. A nonrefundable $150 deposit per weekend or payment in full is REQUIRED to hold your space in any Masters or Backyard contest, payable in the Team Checkout. Some competitions are multi-day contests, with each day a separate championship. Teams also can compete in optional one-meat contests and ancillary categories for an additional fee.

CLICK ON EACH SPECIFIC CONTEST THAT YOU WANT TO ENTER BELOW; i.e. Master of Ribs, Masters, Backyard, etc.

2025 Dates Shown & Open for Applications

Once submitted, you should be directed to the "Team Checkout Page". At that point, choose from multiple options for each contest and add them to your Cart. Check that the Cart holds all the contest options you want before checking out. No space will be held for any contest without at least the $150 nonrefundable Weekend Deposit per contest weekend.