BBQ Fest on the Neuse honored by Lenoir County Commissioners for Guinness World Record, community Impact
Photo: Submitted. Jan Parson, Dr. Tammy Kelly, Waylon Adams, Linda Rouse Sutton, Tonya Adams.
The Lenoir County Board of Commissioners on Monday formally recognized the BBQ Fest on the Neuse for its cultural significance, community contributions, and recent Guinness World Record achievement.
Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution honoring the festival, which in May marked its 44th year with a record-breaking sale of 4,775 barbecue sandwiches in just eight hours. Organizers said the feat was actually accomplished in three hours.
“BBQ is an essential and celebrated tradition in eastern North Carolina with deep cultural and historical roots that span generations,” Commissioner Preston Harris read from the resolution during the meeting. “The 2025 BBQ Fest on the Neuse earned a Guinness World Record... highlighting both the popularity and culinary excellence of the region’s barbecue mission.”
The festival, which draws tens of thousands of visitors to downtown Kinston annually, separated from the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce several years ago to operate as an independent nonprofit. Led by a volunteer board of directors, the event features a whole hog cooking competition, live music, vendors, and family activities.
“It started out with just a few cookers, and it was at a warehouse,” said Commission Chair Linda Rouse Sutton, who recounted the festival’s early days. “Now, they bring in so much to Lenoir County. It contributes to the economic development of our community because the hotels and restaurants are full — about gas and everything else you can think of.”
Dr. Tammy Kelly, one of the longtime organizers, said the Guinness World Record recognition took nearly two years to secure, with significant financial and logistical planning required. The North Carolina Pork Council and Smithfield Foods jointly funded the $24,500 fee to bring an official adjudicator on-site.
“Guinness really likes themselves,” Kelly said. “It started out like $50,000. We finally got them into the $20,000 range. We said we’re not going to do anything that cuts into the money we give back to the community.”
Each year, proceeds from the BBQ sandwich sales support a wide array of local nonprofit groups, including Lenoir County 4-H, the Ronald McDonald House, and the CSS Neuse Museum. “We try to give our money back to a wide variety of charities within the community,” said festival board member Waylon Adams.
Organizers also emphasized the scale of coordination required. More than 180 volunteers contributed to this year’s event. At peak capacity, the competition field included more than 90 cooking teams.
“Everybody’s got their job down pat. It’s a good group,” Kelly said. “We just made it official this year — we break records every year.”
Commissioners presented organizers with commemorative pins and a certificate of recognition to mark the achievement. Sutton noted that the collaborative effort between volunteers, sponsors, law enforcement, and emergency services made the festival a success.
“If you didn’t have those guys, you couldn’t do it,” Adams said. “You get 40,000 people downtown... and we just have a great presence.”
The resolution closes by recognizing the BBQ Fest on the Neuse “for its outstanding contributions to culture, community and economic vitality,” and extends appreciation to “all organizers, sponsors and participants who make the event a resounding success each year.”
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