Thousands Gather for Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival

Last year, the annual Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival enjoyed nearly record-level attendance numbers, as community members were eager to reconvene in-person after the lengthy COVID pandemic.

This year, with Israel engaged in a devastating conflict with Hamas, the festival attracted an even larger number of attendees, as many were drawn to the tasty delicacies, but even more likely came to take comfort in their Jewishness in large numbers and in relative safety.

8th Day BBQ, representing Congregation Kesher Torah, took home first place in the Beef Brisket category // Photo Credit: Kesher Torah Atlanta

The event, now in its 11th year and presented by the Hebrew Order of David, featured 21 cooking teams, with many teams from previous festivals returning, competing in four categories: Beef Ribs, Beef Brisket, Chili, and Chicken. The winners for each category were as follows: Grand Champion – Burnt Offerings; Beef Ribs – Burnt Offerings; Beef Brisket – 8th Day BBQ; Chicken – Carolina Chopped; Chili – Carolina Chopped.

Members of the Atlanta Kashruth Commission oversaw the preparation standards and provided kosher certifications for all the competing cooking teams.

To keep the minds of attendees at ease, event organizers provided enhanced security detail at the festival. This year, as many as 10 security officers patrolled the event grounds, more than twice the number of security personnel as last year.

The Atlanta Jewish Times held a community raffle to give away four ATV/Go-cart vehicles. The winners were: Sandra Glassman, Heather Barnes, Deborah Hatherley, and Nathan Katz. Also won in the raffle were a pair of toy grills, won by Elana Horawitz and Avi Tohar.

The festival also featured a Kids Zone with bounce houses, community expo, silent auction, and live music.