The Bolivar BBQ Blowout & Music Festival returns to downtown Bolivar this weekend, Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. The two-day event brings barbecue competition judging, live music, a carnival, a cornhole tournament and an arts and crafts show to the Hardeman County seat, a short drive from Middleton.
Barbecue teams will be judged through the Memphis BBQ Network, and the festival wraps up Saturday night with an awards ceremony and a closing concert, according to Hatchie Press.
Bolivar BBQ Blowout Schedule: Friday, Oct. 23
Friday’s public fun starts in the late afternoon:
5-9 p.m. – Carnival open on the green space along East Market Street
6 p.m. – Live music from David Nabors at the former Curves building on Lafayette Street
7 p.m. – Cornhole tournament at the Farmers Market
7:30 p.m. – Live music from Courtney Little at the former Curves building
A Mayor’s Lunch at noon and a Sponsors Dinner at 6 p.m. are also planned Friday, but those are invitation-only and sponsors-only events.
Saturday, Oct. 24: Judging, Dogs and Music
Saturday is the main day. Barbecue judging and the March of Dogs both get going at 10 a.m.
10 a.m. – March of Dogs parade begins at Vaughan Oil Company
10 a.m. – Official Bolivar BBQ and Memphis BBQ Network judging begins
10 a.m.-4 p.m. – Tours of the historic Little Courthouse, 215 East Market Street
11 a.m.-3 p.m. – Arts and crafts vendor show in the parking lot in front of the Wheeler Building
11 a.m.-9 p.m. – Carnival open on the East Market Street green space
4 p.m. – Live music from Southern Rose
6 p.m. – Memphis BBQ Network awards ceremony
6:30 p.m. – Live music from Jonathan Ellison to close the night
Most of the music and the awards ceremony will be held at the former Curves building on Lafayette Street, with other activities spread around downtown Bolivar.
Plan Your Trip to Downtown Bolivar
The festival is a short drive for families in Middleton and across the Tennessee-Mississippi line in Walnut and northern Tippah County.
Because events are spread across several downtown spots, visitors may want to park once and walk between the carnival on East Market Street, the Farmers Market, the Little Courthouse and the Lafayette Street music stage. Pet owners joining the March of Dogs should plan to arrive early on Saturday morning.
The weekend is one of the bigger fall gatherings in Hardeman County, mixing a sanctioned barbecue contest with free family activities. Times and locations could change, so check with event organizers or local outlets before heading out.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
