Great Lenexa BBQ Battle

Friday, June 26 – Community Night & Private Parties

4:30–11 p.m. | Open to the public

Admission: $5 (kids 12 & under free)
Payment options: Cash, Apple Pay or Venmo accepted at the gate.

Free shuttle service: Available from the business park at 95th Street & Lackman Road (approximately every 10 minutes) 

Schedule:

4:30–9 p.m. | Free kids activities: face painters, balloon artists, GaGa Ball and bounce houses

4:30–10 p.m. | Oscar Mayer Wienermobile

5:30 p.m. | Free BBQ samples while supplies last at five designated locations. Sample locations include:

• Barbwire Barbecue
• Booth Creek Wagyu
• Everfast Fiber Networks
• Slaps BBQ
• The Rub

6:30–10:30 p.m. | Live music by The M80s

Food and drinks are available for purchase from concession areas. Private parties may bring their own food. Team captains may bring alcohol during check-in before the event opens to the public.

Saturday, June 27 – Competition & Judging

Competition and judging take place throughout the day as teams prepare their championship entries. Sanctioned judging is closed to the public.

5 p.m. | Awards ceremony
Recognition of the top competition teams.

Traffic

Expect increased traffic in the area around the park. The event attracts thousands. 

Parking

Limited public parking is available on the East side of Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Limited handicap parking is available at Foundry Church. We recommend the free satellite parking at the business park at 95th Street and Lackman Road. Shuttles are available approximately every 10 minutes.

Taxi and rideshare service

If you plan to arrive or depart from the event by taxi or ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft, the pickup and drop-off location is at Foundry Church, 8835 Lackman Rd.

Samples

This is a BBQ competition. Hundreds compete. Teams do not provide samples. They typically host private parties on Friday evening while they prep for Saturday's competition. Limited samples are available at Barbwire Barbecue, Booth Creek Wagyu, Everfast Fiber Networks, Slaps BBQ and The Rub.

Concessions

A variety of food and drink items are available for purchase from our vendors.

Alcohol

Only competition teams can bring in alcoholic beverages during the check-in process before the event begins. Individuals may purchase alcoholic beverages at designated locations and at the concession area.

Pets

Only service dogs are allowed at the event.

Wheels

Bikes, skateboards and motorized vehicles are not allowed in the event. Exceptions are wheelchairs or other devices needed by people with disabilities. 

Weather

The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle does not have an inclement weather makeup date. The event will go on as planned even in rainy conditions. The City of Lenexa reserves the right to cancel the event if necessary, due to unsafe conditions. No refunds are given due to inclement weather.

Team lists for 2025

• By booth number(PDF, 188KB)
• By head chef(PDF, 188KB)
• By team name(PDF, 188KB)

BBQ Battle 2025 event map(PDF, 704KB)

Awards

Prizes and ribbons are awarded to the top 10 contestants in seven categories:

• brisket
• pork
• pork ribs
• chicken
• sausage
• beef steak
• miscellaneous

The top three overall winners are also recognized. 

Grand Champion: Slaps BBQ (Kansas City, Kansas)
Head Chef: Joe Pearce

Reserve Grand Champion: Squealin N Dealin BBQ (Independence, Missouri)
Head Chef: Chase Willard

Third Place Overall: Brew 'N' Bar-B-Que (Shawnee, Kansas)
Head Chef: Chris Cox

Complete contest results(PDF, 243KB)

Winner photos

Priority registration

Teams that competed in the 2025 contest may register for the 2026 contest beginning Monday, March 2, 2026, at 8 a.m.

New teams

Any available team spots will open for new teams Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 a.m. Registration will close June 12, 2026.

Fees

Required team fee: $255 per team. This includes electricity, one (1) Silver parking pass, five (5) team wristbands, and five (5) admission stickers.

Optional items:

• One (1) extra silver sticker parking pass: $15
• Admission stickers: $3 each (team price is valid through June 13)

Booth space and capacity details:

• Team booth spaces are 20' wide x 30' deep.
  • All trailers (including hitch/tongue) must fit within these dimensions.
  • Drive lanes are tight.
• We will accept up to 174 teams.
  • Once the contest is full, teams will automatically be placed on the waitlist and contacted if we have a team cancellation.
• Remaining spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Cancellations / inclement weather

Refunds are not given to teams should they choose not to compete in the current year’s competition, as well as in connection with any disputes that result in the team being disqualified from competing in the competition, regardless of the timing. The team’s priority registration is forfeited for the following year. Entry into the competition and their prior booth space is not guaranteed for subsequent years.

The Great Lenexa Barbeque Battle is a rain or shine event with no makeup dates. No refunds are given due to inclement weather. The City of Lenexa reserves the right to cancel the event if necessary, due to unsafe conditions.

Registration instructions

Register online

1. Sign in under “Login” in the top right corner. If you do not have an account, please create an account first.
2. Select the open box next to "BBQ Contestant Registration."
3. You will be asked several registration questions.