May 30, 2019

Heading into the second year, the organizers of PorkPalooza II are preparing for a bigger, better event this weekend.

“Our first year of PorkPalooza was a huge success, and we wanted to up our game this second year,” said Garrett Gross, one of the organizers. “With the barbecue variety, music talent and Remedy producing a PorkPalooza beer, we feel we did this.”

The two-day festival, which showcases local pit masters and musicians, benefits Feeding South Dakota. It will be in the parking lot of 8th & Railroad Center on the east side of downtown.

PorkPalooza II kicks off Friday night at 5 p.m. with a rib cook-off. For $20, diners will get 12 punches on a Rib Passport, and each punch is good for one rib. Tickets are available on eventbrite.com or at the event.

The competitors include restaurants, food trucks, competition barbecue teams and a barbecue supply store: Backyard Grill,  BBQ Heaven, Clucking Good Chicken & BBQ, and Holy Smokes Barbeque, all of Sioux Falls; For Pete’s Sake BBQ of Aberdeen, Sin Circle BBQ of Brandon; Big J’s Roadhouse of Harrisburg; Big Daddy D’s BBQ & Catering and Black Dynamite, both of Mitchell, Squealer’s Smoke Shack of Tea; and Jekyll & Hyde Barbecue of Tripp, which will have two recipes.

Remedy Brewing Co. at 8th & Railroad will release its special beer at the cook-off. As the craft beer partner for the event, Remedy will serve beer in the parking lot and in the taproom.

Solera and Guilty Pleasures Orchestra will provide the music Friday night, which wraps up at 10 p.m.

Saturday’s event is different from Friday night’s with no admission fee, and vendors selling food throughout the day, starting at 11 a.m. The barbecue lineup includes Backyard Grill, Big J’s Roadhouse, Cluckin’ Good, For Pete’s Sake and Jekyll & Hyde. Other specialty food vendors will be there too.

The music starts at noon, and the final band, Judd Hoos, takes the stage at 8:30 p.m. The lineup includes Minority Falls, Billy Lurken, Geoff Gunderson & Amy Ellsworth, CementHead and The ChainSlingers, and Dustin Evans & The Good Times Band.

While there will be tables, people are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

“It’s been a great experience seeing so many people come together with a common goal in mind to produce a great community event and raise money for Feeding South Dakota in the process,” Gross said.