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New York City will play host to some of the nation’s best barbecue at the annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party the weekend of June 7-8. Taking place in Madison Square Park and neighboring streets, the two-day festival will feature 16 of the country’s top pitmasters from a a dozen states.

More than 140,000 locals and tourists are expected to come out for tastes of whole hog, sausage links, pulled pork and other favorites. The admission-free event – a plate of food will run you $9 – will also include live music, cooking demonstrations and more. Proceeds will benefit the Madison Square Park Conservancy. The hungry and impatient may also purchase a FastPass –guaranteeing access to express lines for the holder and a guest and a $100 redeemable food and beverage value – for $125.

Here are this year’s participants:

Ed Mitchell: Pitmaster Ed Mitchell (Durham, NC)
Mike Mills: 17th Street Bar & Grill (Murphysboro, IL)
Chris Lilly: Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q (Decatur, AL)
Jean-Paul Bourgeois: Blue Smoke (New York, NY)


Charles Grund, Jr: Hill Country (New York, NY)

Joe Duncan: Baker's Ribs (Dallax, TX)

Mike Emerson: Pappy's Smokehouse (St. Louis, MO)


Jimmy Hagood: BlackJack Barbecue (Charleston, SC)


Patrick Martin: Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint (Nashville, TN)


Garry Roark: Ubon's Barbeque of Yazoo (Yazoo City, MS)


Scott Roberts: The Salt Lick Bar-B-Que (Driftwood, TX)


John Stage: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (New York, NY)


John Wheeler: Memphis Barbecue Co. (Horn Lake, MS)


Rodney Scott: Scott's Bar-B-Que (Hemingway, SC)

Sam Jones: Skylight Inn (Ayden, NC)


Daniel Delaney: Delaney Barbecue (Brooklyn, NY)

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