Elizabethtown Mayor Sylvia Campbell who congratulated the winners in 2024 said, “We’re proud to celebrate one of our region’s signature industries through a culinary event that brings people together in the heart of Elizabethtown.”
LIP-SMACKIN’-GOOD
In their inaugural year of competition between the north and the south barbecue pitmasters and their crews worked feverishly up until the end. The north prevailed with their pitmaster Matthew Register to win the first-ever Smithfield Cup.
It’s time for the 2025 Smithfield Cup to be held at Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery in Elizabethtown, North Carolina.
ELIZABETHTOWN – Advance tickets are now on sale for the second annual Smithfield Cup which is a festival which pits teams from the states of North Carolina and South Carolina against each other in a battle of barbecue supremacy.
The event will be staged Sunday, Oct. 5 on the grounds of Cape Fear Distillery as a select group of pitmasters from the Carolinas will prepare barbecue samplings from title sponsor Smithfield Foods, which operates the world’s largest pork processing plant in the world in nearby Tar Heel.
Ribs, Ribs … and More Ribs From Last Year’s Competition.
The town of Elizabethtown, Texas-based food distributor Ben E. Keith, Campbell Oil, Minuteman Food Mart and Cape Fear Distillery are presenting sponsors of this unique culinary experience this coming fall.
For tickets to the Smithfield Cup and additional information log on to: www.smithfieldcup.com.
“We’re proud to celebrate one of our region’s signature industries through a culinary event that brings people together in the heart of Elizabethtown,” said Mayor Sylvia Campbell. “The Smithfield Cup offers a great opportunity to showcase our local charm, support small businesses, and give visitors a taste of the genuine southern hospitality that defines our community.”
Patrons will be provided six hearty pork samples (three from each team) and a Southern side from each team, and then be able to cast a People’s Choice vote for the best barbecue. The winning team will be awarded the Smithfield Cup and display the trophy for one year in that winning state.
The team from North Carolina was awarded the trophy in the event’s inaugural year of 2024.
The 2024 Smithfield Cup Winning North Carolina Team came from Southern Smoke in Garland.
This year’s Smithfield Cup is scheduled for noon-4 p.m., with general admission tickets $20. A limited amount of VIP Early Bird tickets are available for $40. That VIP experience gets patrons into the event at 11 a.m. (one hour before the General Admission ticket to beat the crowds) and allows for a second sampling of each of the team’s barbecue and side offerings.
Active and retired military tickets are $15, and kids 14 and under are admitted FREE.
The North Carolina team will be led by captain Keith Henning of Black Powder Smokehouse, which has locations in Jamestown, North Carolina, and Asheboro, North Carolina. Standing at 6-foot-8, former college basketball player Henning is the tallest pitmaster in the state and is nicknamed “Big Brisket.” Henning will be joined by Jeff Groce of Raleigh-based Oink ‘N Moo by Two Brothers and Walt Munroe of Cruzers Drive-Thru in Whiteville, North Carolina.
The South Carolina captain will be Unity barbecue from Bennettsville, South Carolina featuring pitmasters Allen Williams Sr. and T.J. Williams. John Haney of Alveron barbecue Company in Summerville, South Carolina, and Marvin Ross of Peculiar Pig in Dorchester, South Carolina, round out the South Carolina pitmaster roster.
The barbecue competition will also feature live music and entertainment, a vintage car display, a Kids Zone with petting zoo, barbecue sauce and rub vendor sampling, along with a selection of local craft beer, wine and spirits from Cape Fear Distillery.
Elizabethtown celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2023. The Bladen County town is located about an hour northwest of Wilmington and 35 miles south of Fayetteville and 20 minutes from Lumberton.
The Smithfield Cup is operated by Pinehurst-based Tarheel Festivals, who also stage the fifth annual Pinehurst Barbecue Festival over Labor Day weekend and the seventh annual Festival D’Avion in late October.
Contact Information:
Dave Droschak, Droschak Communications
919-630-6656, [email protected]
Peter Stilwell, Tarheel Communications Solutions
910-528-7101, [email protected]