Locals braved the heat in Santa Maria this weekend to attend an annual festival celebrating the rich culture of North Santa Barbara County.
On Saturday afternoon, Pioneer Park was filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of the 7th annual Santa Maria BBQ Festival.
The yearly event honoring the region's deep barbecue heritage featured about a dozen teams that competed in the traditional Santa Maria style of grilling.
While the competitors worked to make their award-winning grub, attendees enjoyed testing out the different meats and voting on which was best.
Event coordinator Jamie Flores told KSBY that the annual event has grown in both size and popularity over the years.
"We've now grown the competition to well over 18 to 20 teams every year. We have almost 1,000 people in the park," Flores said. "The community has totally embraced it— our sponsors, the competitors, everybody. And the weather's perfect today for a barbecue competition."
In addition to showcasing grilling talent, organizers say the annual festival also serves as a fundraiser to support community programs and local youth.
