Sign up now to participate in the Classic City BBQ Festival in downtown Athens Aug. 15-16

ATHENS, Ga. – The Classic City BBQ Festival is now taking applications for food vendors, Tailgate Tradeshow exhibitors and various cooking competitions.

The second annual Classic City BBQ Festival heats up Aug. 15-16 at The Classic Center in downtown Athens. The family-friendly festival, which last year attracted more than 4,000 people, will feature barbecue contests, local barbecue restaurant vendors, an outdoor music stage, classic car show and tailgate tradeshow.

A portion of the proceeds from the festival will benefit the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, a local nonprofit that works to end hunger as part of an overall community effort to alleviate poverty.

The festival is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society and is an official Georgia BBQ Championship 2014 Tour Event.

Vendor Opportunities

· Vendors are invited to purchase a food booth to sell barbecue or other festival favorites. Food vendor booths start at $500. Choose an indoor location in the Grand Hall or Atrium, or select an outside location near the outdoor music stage and professional cook teams.

· The Tailgate Tradeshow on Saturday, Aug. 16 will feature vendors showcasing vehicles, grills, clothing, food products and more. Single, double and triple booths are available. Booths begin at $250.

Cooking Competitions

· More than 30 teams will compete for a $10,000 total prize purse in the Professional BBQ Competition. The registration fee is $300.

· Twenty Backyard BBQ competitors will be vying for a $1,000 total prize purse. The registration fee is $150. Anyone is eligible to compete, as long as they have not won a grand champion prize at a previous backyard contest.

· Seven teams will compete Friday, Aug. 15 in the Restaurant Iron Chef Competition. The contestants will not know what they will be cooking until that Friday, when they receive their protein donated by Buckhead Beef. All contestants will be supplied a grill from Primo Grills and Smokers and access to other ingredients provided by Earthfare. The contest entry fee is $150.

Visit ClassicCityBBQFest.com to sign up for any of these opportunities, or contact Stephanie VanDyck at Stephanie@ClassicCenter.com or 706-357-4417.