The City of Fayetteville can expect a grand cookout event this fall brought to the community by one of Fayetteville’s Favorite Chefs: President and Co-Founder of Flip Flop Sauce “Uncle” Carl Pringle. 

The First ever R&B (Ribs and Butts) Fest, sponsored by the Marius Maximus Foundation and presented by We Are One Big Family, will be coming to the Crown Coliseum on Sept. 13-14. 

This event will feature an unforgettable two-days of delicious BBQ, live music, fun activities and fantastic prizes. 

“Doing all of the community cooking in the few competitions that I do, I wanted to create one for everybody. I'm blessed to be a part of the Black Barbecue Cook Off, but also wanted to include the other barbecuers around. I'm proud of my heritage but barbecue is a little bit of everybody now,” said Pringle. 

Masters of BBQ will put their skills to the test with 16 pit teams already signed up to compete in two cookoff categories: Pork Ribs and Pork Butts. These teams will be at the mercy of public opinion, with the Viewer's Choice Contest. Chefs will be required to provide at least 10 samples of each meat to guests who will then place a branded coin into a team’s bucket to mark their favorites. 

Later, the heat will really turn up when the teams are judged by professionals from the Southern BBQ Network (SBN). 

“One thing about competitive judging compared to back yard judging; they look at appearance, they look at texture, they look at the aroma, they look at the presentation of the box. There's a lot of detail that goes into competitive cooking,” said Pringle. “We’ve partnered with the Southern BBQ network to have them do our judging. I've done a couple of competitions with them, I have a good relationship with them, I enjoy their style and I figured let's take BBQ to the next level in Fayetteville,” said Pringle. 

An R&B Festival Grand Champion will be selected, with the winner receiving $1,000 and a trophy. A second winner will be chosen for the R&B Reserve Grand Champion title, receiving $500 and a trophy. 

First, second and third place winners will also be announced for the Ribs and Pork Butt categories, with cash awards ranging from $400, $200 and $100 respectively and with first place winners receiving a trophy to mark their victory. The winner of the R&B Festival Viewers choice will take home $100. 

In order to keep the competition fair across the board, all competitors will be subject to a meat check before the cooking can begin. 

“There will be a meat inspection. The reason we do that is because we want to keep everybody on an even playing field. All meat has to be sealed prior to the cook’s meeting and the meat inspection. The reason for that is, not to say someone would, but we want to take the prep possibility out of the way. No pre-injections, no pre-rub, no pre-sauce, no pre-marinating. Everybody starts at the same time and goes from there,” said Pringle. 

This event is expected to take up the entirety of the Crown Coliseum's VIP Parking Lot located at 1960 Coliseum Dr., generously donated by the Crown Coliseum. With additional attractions planned including a beer garden, cigar lounge, DJ soundstage featuring live R&B musical performances, a local artist showcase, a cornhole tournament, food trucks and a vendor space the area will be well utilized.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the We Are One Big Family Mentoring Camp, supporting youth development and community initiatives. 

“I love Fayetteville, and I want it to be something that we can grow and we all grow together. This event is bigger than me, this is bigger than my idea for putting out my cooking and my flip flop sauce, etc.  I want us all to grow it. I've been blessed to partner with the Crown Coliseum. It’s about us all growing. Who’s to say in two years we won’t have 100,000 people coming here, that this can’t be an annual event marked on people’s calendars to come and check out,” shared Pringle. 

Spaces can be booked for both food trucks and vendors. 

There is a $200 vending fee for a two day setup for food trucks and 10x10 spots are going for $100 for a two-day setup for product vendors. 

The entry fee for any additional pit teams that wish to compete is $250. 

Outside space will also be utilized for event sponsor advertising and sponsorships for the event are still available.

Interested sponsors, vendors and competitors can contact Carl Pringle at 910-584-0203 or by email at flipflopsauceorders@gmail.com. 

Whether you are a BBQ aficionado, a music lover or just looking for a fun filled weekend with family and friends, the Ribs & Butts Fest will have something for everyone!