New Mexicans can have some pretty strong opinions on Texas and all things Texan, particularly when it comes to food. While we may never agree on who has the best chiles (it is New Mexico) or who makes better enchiladas (also New Mexico) we can agree on one thing: Texans have perfected barbecue. Tangy, peppery and, above all, tender, Texas Barbecue, more than any other states’ style, has become a worldwide phenomenon. Top Texas barbecue restaurants have become global food tourism destinations with hour-long and-longer lines. There is even a Texas barbecue joint (Melt) in Paris. You won’t find any Alabama mayonnaise meats or Kansas City sweetened ketchup “sauce” when you’re sauntering along the Seine!
Lone Star top barbeque masters will be gathering in Red River for the 8750′ BBQ and Music Festival, Aug. 18-20, to show off their skills and compete for prizes, including a People’s Choice Award and a $10,000 grand prize from the Lone Star Barbecue Society. Joining them will be some of the region’s hottest chefs for a red chili cookoff by the Texas-based Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI) and a green-chile cookoff by the New Mexico Chile Association, sponsors of the Green Chile State Championship. Expect entrants from throughout the Southwest to try and beat both states at their own games. And, as if all that wasn’t spicy enough, each day will feature music by some of Country, Americana and Rock’s best artists.
Known from the mid-90s until 2019 as the Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights, this year’s festival promises to be every bit as exciting as previous years. The event kicks off 4 p.m., Friday, Aug. 18, with Michael Martin Murphey’s Rockin’ 3M Chuckwagon Dinner & Show up Bitter Creek Road. Enjoy food and live music throughout the day in Brandenburg Park Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 19 and 20, followed by even more music down at the Motherlode Saloon. A total of 18 artists and bands will play over the three-day festival, including Amy Lavere, Cody Canada and The Departed, Colin Brooks, The Damn Quails, and Elaina Kay. Though there will be multiple venues, acts will not be overlapping so no one misses out on any of the music.
Register for the cookoffs through Aug. 8. General Admission tickets are available online and at the gate. See https://www.8750festival.com/ for more information.
