DANVILLE, Ky. – The Kentucky State BBQ Festival has been named a Top 20 Event in the United States by the Southeast Tourism Society for September 2013.
The Southeast Tourism Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and developing tourism throughout the Southeast region of the U.S.
“We are elated,” said Brad Simmons, owner of Lucky Dog BBQ and co-founder of the festival. “People from all over the USA come to Danville to experience this festival, and we are only too happy to show them the hospitality and down-home friendliness Boyle County is known for. Thanks to this Top 20 Tourism award, we are on the map. Our entire committee is so happy that we are able to continue to grow this event for our community.”
Events and festivals across the Southeast region of the U.S. compete to receive the Top 20 Events designation. Through a nomination process, Southeast Tourism Society chooses the Top 20 events in the Southeast for each month of the year and publishes the list of winners quarterly. The Top 20 Events publication is sent to more than 1,600 newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV station, AAA publications and more.
“It will mean a lot to helping spread the word about this unique barbecue event held in Danville,” said festival co-founder Bob Stovall. “With this award, we expect that more people will visit this year than ever before.”
According to the Southeast Tourism Society website, to be considered for the Top 20 designation, independent judges evaluate nominations to identify 20 events across the region for each month of the year. Selection as a Top 20 Event is a validation of an event’s quality and a distinction that events use effectively in their ongoing marketing and publicity.
The festival was nominated for the designation by the Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“The CVB tries to maximize exposure and marketing within our budget and one approach is to enter our festivals in state and national contests,” said CVB executive director Jennifer Kirchner. “This one for the Kentucky State BBQ Festival is a great honor. The contest is competitive and produces publicity in media outlets we could not otherwise reach.”
To see the festival listing, visit www.southeasttourism.org.
About the Kentucky State BBQ Festival
The third annual Kentucky State BBQ Festival will be Sept. 6-8 at Constitution Square Historic Site in Danville, KY. Celebrity pitmasters like Moe Cason, of Ponderosa Barbecue; Shane Draper, of Draper’s BBQ; and Melissa Cookston, of Memphis Barbecue Co., will be on site cooking their specialties.
“The KY State Barbecue Festival is an eating event that brings together some of the biggest, national names in barbecue to spread the love of barbecue to tens of thousands of people at this family-style event, while also benefitting Heart of Kentucky United Way,” Simmons said.
Earlier this year, the festival committee presented a check for $20,395 to the United Way from proceeds raised by the 2012 Kentucky State BBQ Festival.
For more information about the festival, visit kentuckybbqfestival.com.