Safeway Barbecue Battle Today And Tomorrow (Penn Ave)
Ed. Note: @coupdefoudredc recommends taking Metro. See street closures below.
One of our favorite DC summer events takes place today and tomorrow – the Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle XIX. Barbecue teams and restaurants from all over the United States line Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 9th and 14th Streets NW to show off their recipes competing to be the National Pork Barbecue Champion. Patrons get to try out the BBQ and judge for themselves.
Two music stages, one more focused on rock and the other on R & B music, provide entertainment with acts well known to Washington area music fans such as Chuck Brown (THE godfather of go-go), EU (see video above for EU performing their ’80s hit Da Butt at the Barbecue Battle from years past) and the Junkyard Band. Honor by August (video), a great rock band, will be on hand Saturday evening and local favorite Love Seed Mamma Jump performs Sunday during the day.
The weather is supposed to be fantastic both days, highs in the mid to upper 80s. Saturday hours are 11 am to 9 pm and Sunday hours are 11 am to 7:30 pm. Adult tickets are $12 and kids tickets are $5 with part of the entrance fee going to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington.
Street closures until midnight Sunday follow:
- Pennsylvania Avenue, NW from 9th Street to 14th Street, NW
- 10th Street, NW from Constitution Avenue to E Street, NW
- 11th Street, NW from Constitution Avenue to E Street, NW
- 12th Street, NW from Constitution Avenue to E Street, NW
We’ll be there to take in the good music and good food. Chalk up another reason to love living downtown! If you attend(ed), what will/did you enjoy most?
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FYI – Pennsylvania Ave did NOT reopen at midnight as indicated – more like 3 a.m. Don’t understand why it took sooo long to take down all the tents – all of the other wonderful street festivals that take place in the neighborhood are able to get clean-up done in 2-3 hours, instead of 7 hours! BBQ Battle needs to start ending this event at more reasonable hour if organizer can’t get their act together with a quicker cleanup – sound of street sweepers at 2 am on Sunday night is way too late!
On positive side, music at the event is great and the beneficiary, Metropolitan Boys & Girls Club is a wonderful organization. Does anyone know how much of the ticket price actually goes to them?