News

By Chris Trainor

Index Journal

March 28, 2011

Greenwood, SC - The South Carolina Festival of Discovery, Greenwood’s own annual summer barbecue oasis, has been gaining steam in recent years in terms of regional and national recognition. 

This year’s festival — July 7-9 in Uptown Greenwood — has even been selected to be part of the prestigious 2011 Kingsford Points Chase, the barbecue world’s version of a NASCAR points chase.  However, the recent announcement one of the nation’s top barbecue teams will be participating in this year’s festival could serve as the best example of just how far this festival has come.

City officials said last week Illinois barbecue team Quau has submitted a paid application to cook in this year’s Festival of Discovery. 

Quau, which is headed by Mike and Beth Wozniak , of Brimfield, Ill., was the 2010 Kansas City Barbeque Society’s Team of the Year (out of more than 7,000 teams). The team also won the 2010 Kingsford Points Chase and the 2010 Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue. 

Greenwood Mayor Welborn  Adams said having Quau — essentially the best barbecue team in the nation in 2010 — in this year’s festival is an indicator of the event’s emerging status.  “For the Festival of Discovery to become a national player in the barbecue competitions, we have to attract the best teams,” the mayor said.  “The fact that Quau is coming is a clear signal that we are attracting the best teams in the nation, not just the Southeast. We are now on the national level.  “The Festival of Discovery continues to establish itself as one of the premier KCBS events.”

While the annual Uptown barbecue bash has extended its geographical base of barbecue teams substantially, Uptown Greenwood Development Corporation manager Angie Jones said she thinks the festival still maintains a good balance of local, regional and national squads. “Though the festival does feature teams from all over the country, the majority of teams are from the Southeast,” Jones said. “The 2010 competition featured 40 teams from South Carolina, with 18 from the Greenwood area. By hosting both amateur and professional competitions, the festival is able to include a wider range of participants — including some backyard grillers that want to see if they have what it takes to win.” 

Last year, more than 25,000 people attended the Festival of Discovery, an event that had a $1.2 million impact on the local economy.   City manager Charlie Barrineau said he expects this year’s pork party could be even bigger, but not without the help of local and regional sponsors and others.  “Having top ranked barbecue teams in Greenwood helps to financially ensure that the Festival of Discovery continues for years to come,” Barrineau said. “The production of any event requires money. The Festival of Discovery cannot survive without sponsors. “Sponsors realize Greenwood and the Festival of Discovery have value when we are able to attract the best barbecue in the nation.”