As the Blue Ridge BBQ and Music Festival commemorates its 20th anniversary this year on June 14-15 at Harmon Field, volunteers reflect on the decades of firsts that made the event possible.

Twenty years ago, June 1994, the very first Blue Ridge BBQ Festival was held at the Harmon Field in Tryon.
Members of the chamber of commerce held the event to raise funds to help support chamber activities.

Then chamber president Charlie Neff called on Tryon resident Jim Tabb, an internationally respected barbecue judge, to look into having a local barbecue event. Tabb took the challenge and has been active behind the scenes ever since.
Twenty-four competition cook teams and as many judges participated in 1994, and by all measure, the event was a great success. People seemed to really enjoy eating great barbecue while listening to toe-tapping music.

The first winner was a team from Bellevue, Wash., known as Beaver Castors.