Jack Daniel’s Is Throwing a 'BBQ Bash in the Hollow'

I’ve been lucky enough to be a judge at the annual Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue competition for more than a dozen years, a fact that my general practitioner reminds me is nothing to be proud of. However, my annual pilgrimage to “The Holler” in Lynchburg is always a highlight of my culinary calendar, thanks to the opportunity to catch up with so many industry friends and enjoy some of the greatest smoked meats in the world.

I recognize my experience is different from that of others attending barbecue competitions. At most contests, there’s hardly any food to eat while you watch the lucky judges gorge on samples from world-class pitmasters. I can assure you that there is some genuinely fine barbecue to be had from the vendors at “The Jack,” so if you visit Lynchburg on Saturday, Oct. 10, you can eat (almost) as well as I do.

Another sorta elitist secret about these kinds of competitions is that there are sometimes private parties the evening before the contest where judges and dignitaries are invited to get a little frivolous before getting down to work the next day. The competitors are already hard at work over their fires, smoking four different meats and cooking dishes for three different ancillary categories for the next day.

As much as I enjoy listening to some bluegrass, enjoying a nip of Tennessee whiskey and dining from a top-flight barbecue buffet, I’ve always felt a little guilty that the gen pop didn’t have access to that party. That’s why I’m pleased that Jack is now on year three of a public-facing counter-programming event for the evening before the big event.

The BBQ Bash in the Hollow runs from 6 until 10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, at the Lynchburg Welcome Center, located directly across from the Jack Daniel's Visitor Center. Doors open at 5:30, and if you happen to be in town early, tickets are available for pickup at the JD Visitor Center as early as 9 a.m., and free parking will be available.

Tickets are $25 for those under 21 or $50 if you would like three Jack Daniel's drink tickets and are old enough to use them. It’s a “bring your own lawn chair” kind of event with local food trucks and entertainment from Curb Records recording artist Kelsey Hart and rising country star Blake Redferrin (who sports an epic skullet haircut, BTW).

I’ve always said that a weekend at The Jack should be a bucket-list item for any fan of barbecue, and now that Jack Daniel’s has continued to democratize the event schedule, there’s even more reason to visit Lynchburg next month!