The world of competitive barbecue is a strange place: serious, cutthroat and with a cultlike following. It also appeals to those of us who just like to go stand in the sun and shove massive amounts of meat into our faces. For serious aficionados and regular old gluttons alike, the West Coast BBQ Classic is a favorite. 

On  Saturday, May 14, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the West Coast BBQ Classic returns to the Queen Mary in Long Beach for its fifth annual competition. At the end of the day, the West Coast BBQ Pitmaster Champion will be crowned. 

Maybe you care about the competition, maybe you don't. Either way, the event will give you the chance to experience the meat sweats. There's a lot of barbecue to be had here. 

There's other stuff, too: live music, backyard games, contests and a merchant market. Live entertainment will be provided by the Scotty Mac Band. There are eating competitions (watermelon and cobbler), and a bounce house, face painters and potato sack races just for the kids.

Pricing is as follows (per the press release):

General value-pack tickets are $20 each through April 30 and include event admission plus five tasting tickets and access to the Queen Mary ship. After April 30 tickets increase to $25. VIP value-pack tickets are $35 through May and include one-hour early event admission plus five tasting tickets and access to the Queen Mary ship. After May 1 tickets increase to $40. Event parking is $15.

You can get more information and buy tickets here.

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