As the opening act for one of the Disc-Connected K9s shows, Darla was eager to put on a great show for the attendees of this year’s Rhythm and Ribs.

TIFTON — With each passing year Tifton’s beloved barbecue festival seems to grow bigger and better, and even with the threat of rain looming overhead, this year proved no different.

The Friendly City came together once again to celebrate Rhythm and Ribs the weekend of March 1, enjoying good food, great music, and the company of their community.

The festival certainly exploded throughout Fulwood Park, with nearly every spare patch of grass or road going towards expanding the services and attractions the celebration had to offer.

The weather remained unclear throughout both days of the celebration, skies overcast practically all day Saturday and even opening up into a very light drizzle briefly, but organizers and patrons alike were determined to celebrate rain or shine.

Dozens of vendors set up shop along the park’s roads and trails, marketing handmade crafts or providing activities, games, and snacks for patrons to enjoy.

Over on the north end of the park, the kids zone received ample new additions from South Georgia Gellyball and professional Frisbee-catching dog team Disc-Connected K9s, as well as a carnival twofer with a carousel and Ferris wheel, open for all attendees to partake in.

Vintage and top of the line cars from Southern Gearheads rolled up to Tift Avenue as part of the Ribs and Rides event, which made its return from last year’s festival.

And at the Agri Supply main stage, musicians and bands played their hearts out across both days of the event, including Heart of Pine and GrandVille, the headliners for the opening ceremony March 1, Beautiful Bobby Blackmon, Little Country Giants, and Grass is Dead.

Main stage was also host to the awards ceremony for the festival’s trademark barbecue competition, pitting nearly 30 teams at a professional level and 35 in the backyard competition against one another for the title of best barbecue.

Categories remained the same as last year’s, requiring backyard teams to submit their top chicken, pulled pork, and ribs and professional teams to showcase their pork loin instead of poultry.

Additional competitions were held for the best Bloody Mary, barbecue sauce, and tacos in an ancillary competition for the backyard teams, a People’s Choice category sponsored by the Exchange Club of Tifton, and a Kids’ Cook-Off challenge hosted by the Georgia Barbecue Association.

Makin’ Smoke and Drinkin’ Coke, a team from Coca-Cola UNITED, took home the honor of best barbecue sauce, while Butcher & Banker won both best taco and best Bloody Mary.

People’s Choice went to Reu-B-Que for the second year in a row, and Camden Cisneros was declared the winner of the Kids Cook-Off.

In the main competition, the backyard side winners were declared first, Tyron Spearman of Tifton-Tift County Tourism once again doing the honors.

Across the three categories, Spearman declared CJ’s Barbecue; Glory, Glory to Old Porky; and Amateurs BBQ the winners of the chicken, ribs, and pulled pork categories, respectively, then going on to name Glory, Glory the reserve champion and Heavenly Butts, a high ranking team in all three categories, the grand champion of the backyard competition.

The top contenders of all three categories took home $500, with the reserve champion receiving $750 and the grand champion $1,500.

Afterwards, Greg Sebastian, GBA representative, took over to declare the winners of the professional ribs, pork loin, and pulled pork categories. Sebastian also reported that this year’s competition would serve as a “double-point” event for the competing teams, meaning they would earn more points towards potentially being named “Team of the Year.”

319 Q won the pork loin category, Bite my Butt took the pulled pork division, and Posse BBQ secured ribs, each team receiving $750. Rollin’ Pit BBQ, another high scorer in all three categories, was named the reserve champion, receiving $1,500, while 319 Q went on to be named the grand champion and earn $3,000 for the accomplishment.

All of the top ranking teams at both levels of the competition took home a Squealbert trophy alongside their cash prize. Sebastian was also satisfied with the reception to the Kids Cook-Off challenge, and reported it would be made a staple of all future GBA competitions.