It's not summertime without a barbecue and the Bel Air Downtown Alliance won't allow this season to pass without a big one.
This year is the 10th Anniversary Maryland State BBQ Bash, held in the Mary E.W. Risteau State Office building parking lot.
The free street festival is expect to draw about 25,000 people or more, Downtown Alliance Executive Director Scott Walker said Tuesday.
"Maybe more this year because the weather forecast is looking pretty good this weekend," he added.
The BBQ Bash will be Friday from 4 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m.
The main event, the Maryland State BBQ Championship, will feature judging at noon on Saturday. This year, 63 teams from around the region, and farther, are coming in to compete in the challenge.
The teams that are coming, Walker said, are "world class," including Myron Mixon from Jack's Old South BBQ and judge on TLC's "BBQ Pitmasters."
"It's a pretty big deal for him to show up," he said.
Joining Mixon will be other teams/chefs from the show, according to the release, including Lee Ann Whippen from Wood Chicks BBQ, Dan Hixon from 3 Eyz BBQ and Tuffy Stone from Cool Smoke, the team that won the 2010 Maryland State BBQ Championship.
The Cool Smoke team, led by Tuffy Stone, happens to be one of Walker's favorites, too, but will not be selling food this year.
"I will miss him the most," he said.
As for the rest of the competitors, Walker couldn't choose, saying they are all "fantastic."
The event will also feature the Tailgate Challenge Friday afternoon. This one is geared to amateur barbecue competitors and, according to Walker, has increased from 10 to 12 teams in years past to the 37 signed up for this year.
Many of the amateur teams in the past have become professional, too, he added.
"This is a way for them to kind of get their foot in the door," he said. "This serves as king of minor league baseball for the barbecue world."
Despite the heavy emphasis on the competition, Walker said many attendees aren't necessarily aware of that aspect of the BBQ Bash and this year, they aim to change that.
"We're really trying to do a lot of focus on the competition side of the event," he said, "and also the local aspect of it."
For the local part, as usual, they will have a tented area called Downtown Bel Air at The Bash. The section will feature downtown shops, boutiques and other merchants, so, according to Walker, "people can see exactly what downtown Bel Air has to offer."
Bringing Main Street to the BBQ Bash is important, Walker said, and in keeping with the Downtown Alliance's goals in general.
"Our goal at the alliance, for 10 years, is to bring the focus to the local business community," he said, "and events do that."
Another highlight of the BBQ Bash, new this year, is a partnership with Natty Boh Gear. The Maryland company is sponsoring the bash, providing volunteer shirts and official merchandise.
The merchandise, which can be purchased online at http://www.nattybohgear.com, includes T-shirts, aprons, hats and polos.
This partnership with Natty Boh was important to Walker, a Baltimore native.
"I grew up in Baltimore and nothing says local to me like Natty Boh," he said, "and really I think everyone in the state feels that way."
In addition to nearly 24 vendors and more than 75 crafters, according to Walker, the BBQ Bash will also feature a beer and wine garden, children's activities and live music.
The music starts Friday evening with Walk-Ins Welcome, a country band, from 4 to 7 p.m., followed by two Nashville recording artists, Frankie Ballard and The Farm, from 7:45 to 10 p.m., according to the Downtown Alliance website.
Several local artists will be performing as well, including Route 66, Fiction 20 Down and Whisky Train, all on Saturday. With the entertainment, crafts and food, Walker is encouraging people to come out to this year's BBQ Bash.
"It's just a unique event," he said. "Certainly unique for Harford County."