It’s no secret that Barbeque is a big deal in Texas, and Montgomery County is no exception. Every year since 1976, the Montgomery County Fair and Rodeo has included a Barbeque cookoff competition. According to Pat Davis, Lifetime Vice President and “Officer in Charge” from 1994 to 2004, the event began with only nine or ten teams. This year, that number is up to 147 available team slots, and every year, they are setting records in tickets sold and money made for student scholarships.
For Todd Green, currently serving as Past President of the MCFA, the fair has always been a family affair. They started attending the fair in the mid-70s, and his father, Lifetime Executive Vice President James A. “Jimmy” Green, served as a volunteer and had a team in the very first cookoff. While their team, the Cedar Creek Social Club, takes the competition side seriously, Todd says, “We are serious about a good time.”
They join the thousands who walk through the gates every year during the fair (over 75,000 people in 2022). While the head chef of the team must be from Montgomery County, people come from all over for the event. Those attending the cookoff make up a significant chunk of fair-goers, and money raised through the cookoff weekend goes to student scholarships.
If you’ve never been to the cookoff, the name might conjure an image of a bunch of men standing around BBQ pits. However, this Conroe institution is much more. It is part competition, part party, part concert, and part legend.
If you are a fan of food and fun, try to snag a spot on a cookoff team or wander out there with a reliance on good ole’ Texas hospitality.
The Montgomery County Fair starts on April 11th, and the cookoff begins on April 19th. mcfa.org/bbq-cook-off/.
Hospitality is what sets the Montgomery County Fair Barbeque Cookoff apart from other similar events. Todd says, “You just gotta go out there with the spirit to meet some folks and have fun.”