Chillin n Grillin BBQ Festival started in 2009 as a small fundraiser for the chamber with 14 cooking teams competing. The next year it became a sanctioned contest with Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS) and has grown every year. 2017 was a pivotal year in many ways. RiverCity Park was under construction so it was moved to the Sand Springs Pogue Airport next to Platinum Air. The contest drew overall 44 teams for a various BBQ contests, 23 Arts and Craft Vendors, food trucks, the Dylan Whitney Band and Jennifer Marriott Band. Countless members of the community came to enjoy the event. There was an upset in the People’s Choice contest winners; the Sand Springs Parks department team known as SPARKS upset the 5 year in a row winner Church that Matters. The local competitions make the event all the more fun for everyone.