With the support of Co-founders Susie Coiner & Carol Gault, Beautiful Paducah is proud to announce that BBQ on the River WILL return in 2022!

After 27 years of successfully cooking some of the best BBQ in the country and raising the most money for charity, we feel confident that our organization will maintain the essence of this longstanding tradition – all while breathing new energy & life into one of Paducah’s most remarkable annual displays of camaraderie & unity; via delicious food and civic engagement!

This year’s BBQOTR 2022 theme – Smoke on the Water –  will be in honor of BBQ returning to the river Thursday, September 22nd – Saturday, September 24th, and the role we plan for music to play in this year’s festival and in the future years to come!

Change is upon us – and we choose growth!

With the downtown City Block development project set to break ground in the coming months, BBQ on the River’s festival footprint has changed & a new home has been selected for 2022!  Don’t worry – we did not move far!

This year, we will also be offering booth space for BBQ on & off the River – an option that can be selected at the participants discretion!  BBQ off the River locations will be available at Noble Park and are for vendors who wish to remain removed from crowds and high volume traffic, or would prefer to do business in an “alcohol free” area.  We will be offering free public transportation from BBQ on the River to BBQ off the River and vice versa all day and evening on Saturday for those who would like to experience both!

Our Beautiful Paducah team couldn’t be more excited for this new adventure and we gladly accept the challenge of ensuring that BBQ on the River lives on for generations to come!

2022 BBQ ON & OFF THE RIVER VENDOR SPACES ARE SOLD OUT!!!

Please direct all questions & inquiries to info@beautifulpaducah.org

THIS YEAR AT BBQ ON THE RIVER – WE WILL HAVE THREE POTENTIAL CIVIC ENGAGMENTS OPTIONS AVIALABLE FOR FESTIVAL ATTENDEES TO VOTE ON IN OUR BEAUTIFUL PADUCAH TENT AREA – WHICH EVER INITIATIVE GETS THE MOST VOTES WILL BE CHOSEN TO BE OUR FIRST LARGE-SCALE BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT FOR 2023!

WE WILL ANNOUNCE THE THREE PROGRAMS/PROJECTS AT THE FESTIVAL – SO STAY TUNED!

Barbecue on the River is held each fall in Paducah and is celebrating its 28th year this September. The brain child of Susie Coiner and Carol Gault, the festival began as an idea to share the famous barbecue of Western Kentucky while also rasising money for local charities. It continues today with the same missions, just on a much larger scale!

The riverfront festival has welcomed upwards of 40,000 visitors per year for food, drinks, entertainment, and  raised nearly half a millions dollars of funds for local charities annually in years past.

Barbecue is the star of this festival with more than 80,000 pounds of chicken and pork grilled, smoked, cooked, and eaten, among other tasty choices. The meat is cooked up by local restaurants, other restaurants that travel quite a ways for the festival, as well as people  who are simply passionate about smoking barbecue.

All of the restaurants and individuals are making their barbecue for hungry guests to enjoy, but they are also working to win one of these trophies. Awards are given in categories such as Best Chicken, Best Pulled Pork, Best Whole Hog, Best Ribs, Best Sides, and many more.

The entertainment at the festival keeps things lively and fun and the atmosphere is great for the whole family. You can find the line up of bands performing by clicking “BBQ ENTERTAINMENT” below

There are also vendors and farmer’s market items available at different times throughout the weekend.

Barbecue on the River is a favorite fall festival in Paducah that is worthy of a visit from anywhere in Kentucky. It’s a great way to usher in fall, taste Western Kentucky’s famous barbecue, and visit a city that’s just bursting with personality.