The smell of freshly smoked barbecue has wafted through Tom Lee Park every May in Downtown Memphis ever since the well-known Memphis in May International Festival was founded in 1977. Invited BBQ teams travel internationally to the Mid-South to compete, as the Memphis in May Barbecue Festival (MIMBF)  traditionally spotlights a specific country each year. But, this year was the first MIMBF that did not have a country theme. After MIMBF was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event returned this year with a few changes. Regardless, the teams competed in the individual divisions as always, and civilians experienced a new, COVID-safe atmosphere. 

“[The festival] was super fun and lively,” Autumn Jones (12) said. “Everyone was having a good time and each tent had a different feel, many with music and food. A majority of the people there were older than us though, mostly adults. The weather was very nice and the view of the river was beautiful. Overall it was great, and everyone was really friendly.” 

The riverside festival offered passes to attendees which allowed them to taste test the different tents’ barbecue. Even without passes, guests could still enjoy fun activities and food throughout the festival. Food trucks and vendors were stationed around the park with drinks and food for the public. Several companies set up booths with games and contests. 

“There was this booth promoting this instant potato company, and my brothers and their friends would go over there and play beanbag toss to win potato-related prizes until they won at least two of everything,” Sarah Cameron (9) said. 

For some, the festival is a tradition while others attended for the first time. For Baron Hendricks (10), MIMBF has been an annual outing with his dad for the past five years. The festival has become a heartwarming venture for the pair to marvel at the eccentric decorations. 

“My favorite part of the experience of experience is getting to walk in the festival before the sunset and after the sunset to see all the booths lit up,” Hendricks said. 

The experience differs for all people, including those competing.  James Wolfe has been a part of the Swine & Dine competition team for the past seven years. However, this year proved to be even sweeter than usual.

“[My favorite part of this year’s festival was] being the head chef for the first time and just having the festival since it was canceled last year,” Wolfe, head chef of Swine & Dine, said. “Even though we were a smaller team than normal, we still had a great time.” 

Overall, the draw to the barbecue festival is its lively, thrilling atmosphere. The booths are decked out with lights, and the ending ceremony is made up of contests, music and excited contestants. The nice sunset simply amplified the beautiful and eclectic Memphis in May Barbecue Festival 2021 for all attendees.  From running a booth to enjoying a variety of BBQ, the annual event brought Memphis together to enjoy a town favorite tradition.

“As the awards went on a bunch of the teams accepting [awards] had ridiculous names and some of the acceptability speeches included people throwing hats off the stage and spraying champagne into the audience… it was WILD!” Cameron said.