Get Ready for a Smokin’ Good Time: The STC BBQ Festival Returns to New Town

June 27, 2026
11am-9pm
STC BBQ Festival in New Town

By Brett O’Daniell

There’s something about barbecue that naturally brings people together.

Maybe it’s the smell of smoke rolling through the air on a summer afternoon. Maybe it’s the friendly competition between pitmasters swapping stories beside the grill. Or maybe it’s simply the atmosphere that develops when great food, live music, cold drinks, and community all come together in one place.

Whatever the reason, the STC BBQ Festival quickly proved last year that it was more than just another summer event. It became one of the region’s most energetic community gatherings — and now, organizers, vendors, and competitors alike are preparing for an even bigger second year.

Returning once again to the New Town Amphitheater, the STC BBQ Festival combines professional food vendors, backyard BBQ competition teams, live entertainment, local businesses, and thousands of attendees into a uniquely St. Charles experience.

According to organizers, that community aspect is exactly what makes the event special.

“The St. Charles BBQ Festival is a unique event in the area that brings together great food and great people in a great setting,” said Beth Norviel, Director of Special Events for the City of St. Charles. “Adding in the element of a backyard competition makes it a one-of-a-kind event and something that involves the community.”

That mix of community participation and festival energy became immediately apparent during the inaugural event last year.

“With last year being the first year for the event, you never know what to expect,” Norviel said. “But the amazing turnout from the community showed us that this is an event that people want and we are excited to see it grow each year.”

This year, organizers expect even more participation as the festival continues building momentum across St. Charles County and beyond.

For attendees, the event offers something for nearly everyone:

barbecue vendors and backyard competitors
live music throughout the day
drinks and cocktails
family-friendly atmosphere
community gathering spaces
local business participation

But perhaps the most unique part of the festival is the way it blends competitive BBQ culture with the distinctly neighborhood-oriented atmosphere of New Town.

Last year’s competition champion, Corey Kehoe of Pits of O’Fallon, said the camaraderie between teams is one of the biggest reasons competitors look forward to returning.

“I am looking forward to getting to hang out with my BBQ family and coming out on top again,” Kehoe joked.

The competition itself has quickly become one of the festival’s signature attractions. Backyard pitmasters spend countless hours refining recipes, preparing meats, and perfecting cooking techniques in hopes of earning bragging rights and recognition among fellow BBQ enthusiasts.

Norviel said seeing those competitors return this year is one of the things she’s most excited about.

“I am most excited to see the competition side of things again this year as community members come out to showcase their best BBQ skills,” she said.

While the competition adds excitement, many attendees simply come for the atmosphere — and the food. Returning vendors say last year’s event exceeded expectations in both turnout and energy.

“What stood out most last year was the energy and turnout,” said Simon Slinkard of Slinks Drinks. “It felt like a true community event with fantastic food, live music, and a really good crowd throughout the weekend.”

For Slinks Drinks, the festival creates the perfect environment to connect with attendees while helping contribute to the overall experience.

“We enjoy being part of the festival because it’s a great atmosphere and gives us the chance to connect with people while serving quality drinks,” Slinkard said. “This year people can expect our handcrafted quality-made margaritas, cold beer, and a variety of summer cocktails. We are looking forward to another great year.”

That kind of enthusiasm seems common among returning participants.

Romeo Banks of Romeo’s BBQ still remembers how quickly the crowd embraced both the event and the food.

“Last year I really enjoyed the bands,” Banks said. “We actually got a good shout out from one of the bands encouraging attendees to eat our rib tips, that was really cool!”

Banks said one of the most memorable parts of the festival was simply experiencing the atmosphere in New Town.

“The neighborhood is such a unique concept,” he said. “You feel it as soon as everyone starts pulling up in golf carts.”

That community-first environment helped create steady traffic throughout the event, and for some vendors, demand quickly exceeded expectations.

“I was really busy,” Banks said. “The pulled pork nachos were really popular and I unexpectedly sold out of turkey legs.”

Stories like those are exactly what organizers hoped the festival would create — an event that feels less like a traditional fair and more like a community gathering centered around local flavor and entertainment.

The setting itself plays a major role in that experience.

The New Town Amphitheater offers an atmosphere unlike many event spaces in the region. Surrounded by canals, walkable neighborhoods, restaurants, and golf carts weaving through the streets, the environment naturally encourages people to linger, socialize, and enjoy the day together.

It also creates opportunities for local businesses and entrepreneurs to gain visibility while connecting directly with residents and visitors.

For many vendors, events like this are about much more than a single day of sales. They’re about relationships, repeat customers, and becoming part of the larger local ecosystem developing throughout St. Charles.

Unlike larger corporate festivals that can sometimes feel impersonal, the STC BBQ Festival still feels rooted in local participation. Neighbors attend alongside visitors from surrounding communities. Small businesses stand beside competition teams. Local musicians perform while families gather near the amphitheater lawn.

And through it all, barbecue remains the common denominator.

Whether it’s brisket, rib tips, pulled pork, nachos, turkey legs, margaritas, or cold beer on a warm summer evening, the festival creates an atmosphere where people naturally gather around good food and conversation.

For the City of St. Charles, that sense of shared experience is exactly the goal.

As the festival enters its second year, there’s a growing sense that the STC BBQ Festival is becoming more than just a successful event — it’s becoming a tradition.

One built around smoke, music, competition, local business, and community. And if last year’s turnout was any indication, the appetite for it is only growing.

So whether you’re coming for the competition, the cocktails, the live music, or simply the chance to spend time with friends and neighbors in one of the area’s most unique settings, one thing is clear:

Come hungry.

Find out all the details as well as how to participate: https://qr1.be/B9ZPWP