This article links to most of the large associations calendars for this summer's BBQ events, so you can find when and where the BBQ is coming to your area.
Every summer in cities around the globe people gather to celebrate and enjoy local barbecue at nearby events. Local BBQ contests and challenges draw the best restaurants and cooks in town to one place, where you can sample and compare the goods at your leisure. State and County Fairs are also a great place to find new BBQ sources. The absolute best place to sample good BBQ is at one of the many professional BBQ Challenges or competitions, because no one puts more effort into BBQ than up-and-coming contestants that have traveled across the country to compete.
Time to find a local event and sample the some local goods!
Select one of the local BBQ Associations from the listings below to see what is coming to your area this summer!
BBQ Events, Contests and Festivals
Everfest BBQ Festival Finder
https://www.everfest.com/food/bbq-cook-off-festivals
(state by state listings at the bottom of the page)
Active BBQ Association Event Lists
Alabama BBQ Association
http://alabamabbqassociation.com/bbq-trail/events
California BBQ Association
http://www.cbbqa.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
Florida BBQ Association
http://fbabbq.com/events/
Georgia BBQ Championships
http://www.georgiabbqchampionship.com/contests.aspx
Greater Omaha BBQ Society
http://www.gobs.org/#!contests/c1m3e
Iowa BBQ Society
http://www.iabbq.org/contests/iowa-backyard-bbq-series/
Kansas City BBQ Society
http://www.kcbs.us/events
Lonestar BBQ Society
http://www.lonestarbarbecue.com/2016-events/
Memphis BBQ Network
http://www.mbnbbq.com/list_contests.php
Mid-Atlantic Barbecue Association
https://mabbqa.com/events/
NorthEast BBQ Society
https://www.nebs.org/calendar/
Pacific Northwest Barbecue Association
http://www.pnwba.com/
Rocky Mountian BBQ Association
http://rmbbqa.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=400799&module_id=194960
South Carolina BBQ Association
http://www.scbarbeque.com/index.php/2014-01-26-09-53-58
St Louis BBQ Society
http://stlouisbbqsociety.com/events/
US State Fair listings
State and county fairs always have a good selection of local BBQ too.
https://www.everfest.com/civic/state-fairs
International BBQ Events, Contests, and Festivals
World BBQ Association
http://world-bbq.com/events-around-the-world/
Australasian Barbecue Alliance
http://ausbbq.com.au/upcoming-events/
Australian BBQ Association
http://www.aba-barbecue.at/events/
International BBQ Association
http://ibcabbq.org/all-events/
Swiss BBQ Association
http://www.swissbarbecue.ch/
German BBQ Association
http://gbaev.de/gba-grillmeisterschaften/
Dutch BBQ Association
http://www.barbecue-dba.com/page/335/barbecue-agenda.html
Nederlandse Barbecue Society
http://nkbbq.nl/nk-bbq/#nkkwalificatie
Now go on, enjoy some BBQ!
Know of an association or current event list I missed? Post it and I will add it to the list!