Sauce, Smoke, & Summer!
Smoke’s about to roll into Kenansville! Beach Brew & Que hits the Duplin Events Center on June 13 with barbecue, beach music, and the kind of summer crowd that shows up hungry and somehow stays through the last encore.
For eastern North Carolina, festivals like this have become part of the summer rhythm. One weekend it’s seafood and live music near the coast. The next, it’s barbecue smoke drifting across parking lots while somebody’s aunt claims the best dance spot before noon. Beach Brew & Que fits right into that tradition, though this one leans especially hard into Carolina beach music culture, which honestly feels like a perfect pairing for June heat and pulled pork.
The music lineup alone could carry the day. I-42 Band, The Embers, and Jim Quick & Coastline are all scheduled to perform, bringing decades of shag-friendly beach music to Kenansville. Around here, beach music isn’t background noise. It’s practically a personality trait. Somebody’s always teaching cousins how to shag near the stage while another group’s balancing barbecue trays and sweet tea like an Olympic event.
Barbecue With Bragging Rights
The festival promises a full spread of barbecue vendors, shopping booths, and live entertainment throughout the day, but the barbecue competition itself may end up stealing the spotlight. Beach Brew & Que is officially sanctioned by the Whole Hog Barbecue Series, a competitive circuit that brings some of the country’s top pitmasters to festivals across North Carolina and Virginia between March and September.
That means Kenansville isn’t just hosting backyard grill masters with secret spice rubs and folding chairs. Teams competing at Beach Brew & Que are chasing qualifying spots for the Whole Hog Barbecue Championship held later this fall, with all events sanctioned by the NC Pork Council. Prize money adds another layer of competition, with first place taking home $1,000, second place earning $800, and third place winning $600.
Festivalgoers also get a direct payoff from all that competition. BBQ sandwiches will be sold on-site for $7, featuring mixed pork prepared by the competing cook teams and topped with a classic vinegar-based sauce that feels about as eastern North Carolina as it gets.
That shift toward destination-style food festivals has been growing across the region for years. Outdoor concerts, barbecue competitions, and community events have become a major part of summer travel plans, especially for people looking for easy weekend trips without airport lines or all-day drives.
Summer Starts Here
There’s something very eastern North Carolina about spending a Saturday listening to beach music with barbecue sauce on your hands and smoke hanging in the air by lunchtime. Beach Brew & Que was built for exactly that crowd.
And if summer in North Carolina needed an official soundtrack, there’s a decent chance The Embers already recorded it years ago.
Dig into more delicious festivals here: https://www.guidetonc.com/festivals!
