BLACKFOOT — Summer is here and that means it’s time for the annual Smoke-N-Wings BBQ Contest and the companion Grillin’ For Grads fundraiser.

Steve McClellan, organizer of the event, said it’s the sixth year of the event and the third as a sanctioned professional event. The first three years it was an amateur event, but in 2024, he received what he needed to go pro: sanctioning from the sector’s biggest body, the Kansas City Barbecue Society, and a proclamation from Idaho Gov. Brad Little declaring Smoke-N-Wings BBQ Competition a state competition.

“That means the winner of the event is eligible for an invitation to the Jack Daniel’s World Barbecue Competition and the Kansas City Royal Invitational,” McClellan said. “Because of that, we have teams coming from all over the country and Canada.”

He has 30 teams slated for the competition that takes place on Saturday, and while it’s open to the public to come and watch, it is not interactive, and they won’t be selling the barbecue.

The competition is judged by official judges with the Kansas City Barbecue Society. Competitors are judged in four categories: chicken, pork, ribs and brisket.

McClellan said the pressure is on as the clock strikes noon and contestants must submit their chicken entry. From there it’s the ribs at 12:30 p.m., the pork at 1 p.m., and then brisket at 1:30 p.m. The award ceremony will be at 4 p.m., giving judges plenty of time to do all their calculations.

“The public is welcomed to show up and hang around, but it’s not a public event,” McClellan said. “They might talk to you, but if you are trying to talk to these guys close to noon, they aren’t going to want to talk. It’s a hectic time right then.”

But the Smoke-N-Wings BBQ Competition is hardly just a barbecue competition. There is a lot more for the public to enjoy on Friday. McClellan said most barbecue competitions will have some kind of fundraising element, and for the Smoke-N-Wings it’s the Bingham County Mayors Scholarship Fund, for which the event raises between $8,000 and $10,000 each year.

“Our fundraiser is called Grillin’ For Grads, and it’s from 5 to 7 p.m. On Friday,” he said. “We don’t fund the scholarship by ourselves. The fund gave away 80 scholarships this year. That’s a lot of kids going to school.”

Grillin’ For Grads is free to attend. In fact, you get a shot at winning a couple of pretty good prizes for voting on what you think is the best barbecue during the event. McClellan said eight to 10 of those in Saturday’s competition will be grilling up some food to sell on Friday evening. Those who attend get a poker chip when they enter that they can put their name on. They then put that chip in the container of the booth they thought was the best.

“When they vote, they will get their name put in a raffle for a Blackstone grill,” McClellan said. “Doesn’t cost anything. The entry, chance to vote, chance at the raffle, all that is free.”

The two-day event is hosted at the McCarley Field Airport, located at 1311 Airport Road in Blackfoot. Those attending the event should use the main entrance by the terminal, but there is no parking inside the airport. Those wanting to attend will have to find parking nearby and walk into the airport.

The Grillin’ For Grads part of the event will kick off at 5 p.m. on Friday with a flag ceremony, during which Evie Clair, a top 10 finalist on season 12 of America’s Got Talent, will sing the National Anthem. As she finishes, several planes from the Legacy Flight Museum in Rexburg will fly over.

“That’s our America250 part of the celebration,” McClellan said. “Conditions permitting, they are going to land and people will be able to look at the planes.”

There will also be some fun on Friday morning, when at 10 a.m. they will host the Kids-Q, a grilling competition for the youth, separated into two groups: those aged 5 years to 10 years old and those aged from 11 years old to 16 years old.

“It’s sponsored by Riverbend Meats this year,” McClellan said. “The meat is provided, and they can make whatever kind of hamburger they want to make. We provide the meat and a charcoal grill that is already lit.”

He said they will usually see about eight or nine kids in each category, but this year, while he has that many in the lower age group, he has just one signed up to grill burgers in the 11 years to 16 years category. Those wanting to compete can go to the website, smoke-n-wings.com for more information. Top prize in each category is $300, and the top five places get some kind of prize money.

Probably the biggest part of the fundraiser during the Grillin’ For Grads is the silent auction, and McClellan said it won’t disappoint this year. He said there are more than 150 items to bid on.

“We have a smoker, a big screen TV, a box at a Chuckers game for 10 people with dinner, guns and a fly fishing trip,” he said. “It amazes me how many items we get donated for this each year. This community is so generous. They get hit up every five minutes for donations, but they continue to support the community.”