If you’re like any one of our team members, then you are very settled into Summer. Yes, we fully acknowledge and recognize that Summer is NOT here (yet) but Memorial Day has passed and the white jeans are out! With all of this fanfare comes everything we love and wait all year for: Beach, Rosé and BBQ! Danny Meyer, Chef Kenny Callaghan, and Mark Maynard-Parisi have created the ultimate (pre) summer event!  There is a reason why it has been running for a cool 15 years. It. Makes. Sense!

The event started off small and became something much much larger (Shake Shack, cough). Today, the event stretches across a handful of city blocks in, and around, Madison Square Park. Madison Avenue shuts down as a parade of BBQ rigs descend on the Flatiron – overalls and Stetson hats, galore – where the top Pit Crews set up camp to smoke their award-winning whole hogs, ribs, brisket, and the like through the night, and serve happy hordes of barbecue lovers all day.

This year, it happens on Saturday & Sunday, June 10 – 11, 2017. It’s an epic couple of days and you need to be a part of this! The Big Apple Barbecue Block Party is the nation’s largest culinary and music festival dedicated to the best in barbecue. The weekend welcomes over 130,000 guests from across the city, and the country. Enjoy mouthwatering ’cue from the world’s most celebrated Chefs and Pitmasters. Throw in the beer, wine, and great live music – all set against this stunning Manhattan backdrop – and you’ll find yourself at the ultimate summer street party.

The best part of the Big Apple BBQ is that it’s free and open to the public! If you choose to (and should) want to enjoy some incredible, award-winning barbecue, it’s just $12 a plate!

In addition to all the wonderfully transporting sites, smells, tastes, and sounds, guests can feel good about the event’s charitable mission, with proceeds benefiting the Madison Square Park Conservancy.

For more information and to book your tickets, visit bigapplebbq.org!

Ready to make your plans? Not yet? Here’s a lineup and some photos to push you over the edge!

Blue Smoke, Baker’s Ribs, Hometown BBQ, Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, Hill Country, Skylight Inn / Sam Jones BBQ, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Que, Martin’s Bar-B-Que, 17th St. BBQ, Ubon’s Barbeque, Salt Lick BBQ, Jim ’N Nicks Bar-B-Q, Scott’s Bar-B-Que, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Memphis Barbecue Co.