AMERICA’S BBQ FOOD & MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Giant® National Capital BBQ Battle is Back for its 31st year, as America’s Food & Music Festival. 

For the past 30+ years, tens of thousands of people have flocked to our nation’s capital to celebrate the “Official Start of Summer” at the Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle, one of the largest and most unique food and music festivals in the country. The festival is a celebration of unity, community, inclusiveness, and cooperation in the heart of our Capital City. 

This June 24th & 25th, on Historic Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 7th Street, NW, Washington’s tastiest summer celebration pays tribute to everything barbecue and embodies the best of all things summer in America. Pennsylvania Avenue will become the epicenter of BBQ perfection, bringing together delicious BBQ, delectable summer specialties, and plentiful free food samples in the Taste of Giant Sampling Pavilion and around the event, with BBQ to order from top restaurants and vendors. Witness nationally recognized BBQ contests, popular bands and entertainment, celebrity chefs and much more to enjoy all weekend. 

In addition to attracting and entertaining fans from around the country, the Giant Barbecue Battle has raised millions of dollars for area charities. This year’s event will benefit the USO Metro, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Capital Area Foodbank. For two days Pennsylvania Avenue will be filled with amazing sights, sounds, mouth-watering barbecue and all the delicious tastes of summer. 

To compliment all the tasty treats, the event features two main stages alive with a great mix of DC’s own Go-Go music on the Pepsi Lay’s Go-Go Stage and a blend of Latin and world music and dancing, reggae, R&B, blues and more on the Pepsi Stronger Together World Music Stage. New this year, to celebrate the event’s 30 years the Monster Energy 90’s Block Party will throw back featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff and a variety of live entertainment like BMX and acrobatics action and nostalgia. To quench everyone’s thirst, there are plenty of non-alcoholic favorites from Pepsi and the Budweiser Beverage Gardens and Giant Corks to Caps beer and wine sampling offer a wide variety of refreshing summer libations.  

Along with all the great food, music and entertainment, the high-stakes National Barbecue Championship cooking contest, proclaimed the “Official National BBQ Championship” on the floor of Congress, takes place all weekend, with winners announced on stage at the event’s conclusion Sunday evening. BBQ legends like Myron Mixon and Tuffy Stone compete side by side with top BBQ teams from across the country in multiple contests for the title of National BBQ Champion, trophies, cash and prizes. 

The 31st Annual Giant Barbecue Battle is heating up to be the best-tasting yet. You can purchase tickets in advance at BBQDC.com or at the gate day of show, so mark your calendar for June 24th & 25th and bring the whole family to DC’s favorite Food & Music celebration. 

For more information on the Giant Barbecue Battle, visit www.bbqdc.com 

Contests:

The Giant National Capital BARBECUE BATTLE® consists of multiple BBQ Contests:  The Kansas City Barbeque Society Sanctioned Giant National BBQ Championship Categories include: Pork – “Smokin’ with Smithfield”, Chicken – “Perdue Sizzlin’ Chicken Contest”, and “Steak, PA Beef Cookoff”, USO Military Chef Cook-off & The Junior Chef Competition.

- PERDUE SIZZLIN’ CHICKEN CONTEST
- SMOKIN’ WITH SMITHFIELD RIB CONTEST
- NATIONAL PORK BBQ CHAMPIONSHIP CONTEST
- NATIONAL TURKEY FEDERATION TURKEY SMOKE CONTEST
- BEYOND MEAT BBQ CHAMPIONSHIP
- NATIONAL STEAK COOK-OFF
- NATION'S BEST BBQ SAUCE
- JUNIOR CHEF COMPETITION PRESENTED BY KINGSFORD CHARCOAL
- MILITARY CHEF COOK-OFF BENEFITING USO

Music and Entertinment

CHECK OUT 4 GREAT ENTERTAINMENT STAGES

Monster Energy 90’s Block Party

Saturday/Sunday
BMX Team will perform stunts on a quarter pipe
BBoys Breaking Team will be performing a show packed with acrobatic stunts and the hottest dance moves!
Live custom street art by graffiti artist MEME
The Monster team will be sampling new flavors and fan favorites
Don’t forget to grab a photo with the Monster Girls!
Plus DJ Jazzy Jeff

Pepsi Stronger Together World Music Stage

Saturday June 24, 2023
12:00pm-1:00pm Solay Bolivia
1:15pm-2:15pm Side by Side
2:45pm-3:30pm Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
3:45-4:45pm Ras Slick
5:00-6:00pm Clones of Funk
6:30-7:30pm Jru Anthony
7:45-9:00pm See-i

Sunday June 25, 2023
12:00pm-1:00pm Jamaican Dancers/DJ
1:00pm-2:00pm Linwood Taylor
2:15-2:45pm Grufolpawa-Panama
3:15-4:15pm Peter Pana
4:45-5:45pm Empresarios
6:00-7:00pm Closing Ceremonies

Pepsi-Lay’s Go-Go Stage

Saturday June 24, 2023
12:00-1:00pm I & I Riddim
1:15-2:15pm Battle of the Bands
2:30-3:30pm Spoken Word to Go-Go
3:45-4:45pm Mambo Sauce
5:00-6:00pm Be’la Dona
6:30-7:30pm BYB (BackYard Band)
7:45pm-9:00pm EU (Experience Unlimited) featuring Sugar Bear

Sunday June 25, 2023
12:00-12:30pm DC Strings
1:00-2:00pm TBD
2:30-3:45pm The Crank Crusaders with Special Guest Raheem Devaughn
4:15-5:15pm Black Alley
5:45-7:00pm The Chuck Brown Band

Giant Fresh Ideas & Cooking Demo Stage

Dates: June 24 and 25, 2023

Locations: Historic Pennsylvania Avenue, Between 3rd And 7th Streets, Washington Dc.