Pinehurst Barbecue Festival 2025 Behind the Scenes

Pinehurst Barbecue Festival 2025 features 3 days of events and the Christopher Prieto Pitmaster Invitational and has quickly become one of the Carolinas’ premier barbecue events. Andrew Stilwell gives us a behind-the-scenes look at this year’s barbecue festival event Aug. 29-31, the participating pitmasters, the diverse menus of food options, and a chance to win a lifetime ticket to the festival. Get the history of the festival, how it started in the Village of Pinehurst, and breaking news about the second-annual Smithfield Cup between North Carolina and South Carolina pitmasters. Listen to this episode for the details on Pinehurst Barbecue Festival 2025 and where you can get tickets for the one-of-a-kind festival over Labor Day Weekend.

This episode sponsored by Pinehurst Barbecue Festival 2025 coming Labor Day Weekend Aug. 29-31 in the Village of Pinehurst. 3 days, 5 signature events, concluding with 7 N.C. pitmasters serving meats & sides in the Christopher Prieto Pitmaster Invitational. Buy tickets online today and enter the giveaway for a LIFETIME PASS.

Summary with timestamps

(00:00–00:25) Introduction of Andrew Stilwell from Pinehurst Barbecue Festival and announcement of a Lifetime Ticket Giveaway—one lucky person wins tickets for life by purchasing a pass via the festival website.

(02:14–02:33) The Pinehurst Barbecue Festival, now in its fifth year (launched in 2021), runs Labor Day weekend (Aug 29–31, 2025) in the village of Pinehurst, celebrating both Eastern and Western NC barbecue styles

Pinehurst Barbecue Festival 2025 Event Schedule

(04:55–05:14) The weekend lineup includes:

• Friday: “High on the Hog” gourmet pitmaster dinner
• Saturday: Q‑School grilling class, Bourbon & Bites tasting, and Barbecue Reimagined
• Sunday: Christopher Prieto Pitmaster Invitational featuring seven NC pitmasters.

(06:00–07:02) Evolution over five years: the festival expanded from four to five signature events, spread across two streets for better crowd flow, and added more pitmasters to meet demand.

What’s new for the 2025 Festival?

(08:21–09:03) New for 2025: Two new pitmasters in the invitational—Matthew Register (Southern Smoke BBQ) and James Beard–winner Ashley Christensen, who’ll serve smoked blue crab & grits.

• Q‑School moves to shaded pavilion
• Barbecue Reimagined shifts to B-HAWK Distillery in Southern Pines.

Smithfield Cup Competition

(10:22–11:29) Introduction of the Smithfield Cup in October—pitmasters from North Carolina vs. South Carolina in a fan-voted pork competition at Cape Fear Distillery.

Christopher Prieto Pitmaster Invitational

(14:26–15:34) The Pitmaster Invitational uses a punch‑card tasting format (one serving from each of the 7 pitmasters, ~2 lbs total), blending showcase with crowd control in an open-village venue.

Pinehurst Barbecue Festival Menu Highlights

(20:32–29:46) Highlights of individual events and menus:

• High on the Hog (Fri): multi-course pitmaster dinner including brisket, ribs, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch bread pudding
• Q‑School (Sat): hands-on grilling demos (reverse-sear tenderloin, smoked chicken, shrimp) by Christopher Prieto
• Bourbon & Bites (Sat): bourbon pairings, cigars, specialty bites, local and private-barrel selections
• Barbecue Reimagined (Sat): award-winning NC chefs showcase creative, non-traditional barbecue dishes.