Smokin on main collinsville il 2022

If you love barbecue, downtown Collinsville is the place to be this weekend.

The Smokin’ on Main barbecue festival and competition in Collinsville, spearheaded by local barbecue spice company Code 3 Spices in coordination with the City of Collinsville, returns on Saturday and Sunday.

This is the fifth year for Smokin’ on Main, not counting 2020 when the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smokin’ on Main, presented by Code 3 Spices, Contegra and Budweiser, will run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. It will feature barbecue vendors from all over the St. Louis area and ice-cold Anheuser-Busch products.

“People can expect it to be similar to past events, but this year we’re going to have a new vendors row for some of the people whose products we carry in our store, such as Hunsaker Smokers, PK Grills and Crank It Up Grills,” said Mike Radosevich, who started Code 3 Spices nearly 10 years ago with his friend Chris Bohnemeier.

“That will allow the community to come out and see what this is all about in our industry and talk to these fantastic brands that really contribute to the barbecue industry.”

Radosevich and Bohnemeier are also the co-owners of Collinsville BBQ Supply, 302 N. Main St., which is typically open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

“We’ll have Collinsville BBQ Supply open as well, but we do this for our community and the industry,” Radosevich said. “We want people to get a sneak peek or a hands-on experience for what our passion is about.

“Barbecue is at an all-time high in popularity and we love our community. We want to be able to provide wholesome family entertainment revolving around barbecue.”

Last year’s Smokin’ on Main festival featured dozens of barbecue crews, but Radosevich said that portion of the event will be around 10 BBQ vendors this year with more of a local spotlight.

“We’re going to bring it down a little bit, but we’re featuring more local competitors,” Radosevich said. “That’s our way of showing our community that there is a ton of great barbecue in the region. St. Louis was just named the No. 1 barbecue destination spot in America and a lot of the people who will be here this weekend have contributed to that in some fashion.

“We’ll have Edley’s (from Edwardsville) for the first time this year as well as Sugarfire 64 (in O’Fallon) and Super Smokers out of Missouri. We’ll also have a Takozz food truck here for the people that want something other than barbecue and this year the Sandwich Shop Diner, which is located on Main Street, will be participating as well with standard barbecue items and other options.”

There will also be a mobile barbecue display on vendor row.

“Collinsville BBQ Supply will have barbecue supplies set up on Main Street and it will include our top picks and must-have products featured by our general manager and chef, Josh Milson, who runs our store,” Radosevich said. “Most people go to a grocery store, and they just see what’s on the shelves, but when you dig deep into the world of barbecue products, there are so many specialty items that are just phenomenal. We want to expose that to the people who are going to be joining us this weekend.”

The festival will offer a wide variety of barbecue styles and flavors. But Radosevich believes that high-quality barbecue, whether in a competition or in a backyard feast for the family, has a common ingredient in attention to detail.

“A lot of it is using the right equipment and really knowing the ingredients and methods that you’re using with whatever protein you’re cooking,” Radosevich said.

For Radosevich and Bohnemeier, the Smokin’ on Main festival not only provides a chance to showcase local barbecue, but also to showcase downtown Collinsville.

“It’s really all about the community,” Radosevich said. “The city has been very good to us, and we’ll be 10 years old this November. This event takes six to eight months to plan and as we get closer to it, we get so excited because we remember all the past events and see the smiles on people’s faces.

“We have been given some numbers about the estimated economic impact of the festival on the city and it’s quite a bit more than we ever expected. We’re honored to have the opportunity to bring that impact into our community through the world of BBQ.”

The entertainment schedule for Smokin’ on Main includes a DJ from 1-5 p.m. Saturday, the Steve Ewing Band from 6-10 p.m. Saturday and the Scott Marlin Duo from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit https://smokinonmain.com/.

Registration

(depends on selected options)

Base fee:

• A) Steak A Only – $150.00

  *All registrants must be a minimum of 13 years old and may register for 1 entry per category only.

• B) Steak B Only – $150.00

  *All registrants must be a minimum of 13 years old and may register for 1 entry per category only.

• C) Steak A & B Entry Fee – $300.00

  *All registrants must be a minimum of 13 years old and may register for 1 entry per category only.

• D) Ancillaries Only

  *All registrants must be a minimum of 13 years old and may register for 1 entry per category only.