ABOUT the Grand Am World Championship
The Grand American Barbecue World Championship (the Grand Am) is a 2-day BBQ festival consisting of both a World Championship Invitational and a New York State Championship Open for Masters (4-meat) teams, sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS). The Grand Am takes place at New Century Film located in Port Jervis, New York, on August 2-3, 2025. The Saturday Invitational will have a payout of $50,000 and the Sunday Open will have a $15,000 payout.
Grand Am Meat Categories: Chicken, Pork Ribs, Pork (Shoulder or Boston Butt), Beef Brisket
Grand Am Team Capacity: 100 Masters teams
Note: Team packets and site assignments will be provided no later than July 1, 2025
Lodging and Camping suggestions can be found here: Where to stay
Grand Am Invitational — $300 deposit or Payment in full is required to hold your space
Saturday, August 2, 2025
The qualifying period for the 2025 World Championship Invitational Contest is April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2025. Any team, from anywhere in the world, that has won a Masters Grand Championship (GC) or Reserve Grand Championship (RGC) from a KCBS qualifying championship contest during the qualifying period may register to join. Teams competing in the Saturday Invitational Competition must also compete in the Sunday Open Competition, which is a New York State Championship. Registration closes on May 31, 2025, and space will be assigned on a first-come basis — the sooner teams register and pay, the closer their site will be to the turn-in location. Teams will be required to list the contest and date of their GC or RGC.
Fees: $1,250 entry for BOTH daily contests — $900 Sat + $350 Sun (or discounted rate of $1,050: $750 Sat + $300 Sun, if participating in VIP offerings). A $300 non-refundable deposit is required to hold the team’s entry.
If a team chooses to participate in the VIP offerings to receive a discount, the team agrees to participate in BOTH Saturday and Sunday VIP offerings.
Invitational Wild Card Entry - $100 entry fee
The Grand Am will conduct a Wild Card drawing open to any team, with five (5) teams selected randomly to participate in the Grand Am Invitational. The Wild Card drawing requires a $100 non-refundable entry fee to participate. Please read the Team Packet for the complete set of rules regarding the Invitational Competition. The drawing will take place on Monday, June 2, 2025, and all Wild Card entrants will be notified on the selections.
Fees: $100 non-refundable entry fee to participate. If selected, the Wild Card team must pay an additional $1,150 entry for BOTH daily contests ($950 if participating in VIP offerings), or a $200 non-refundable deposit to hold the team’s entry upon notification of selection.
If a team chooses to participate in the VIP offerings to receive a discount, the team must participate in BOTH Saturday and Sunday VIP offerings.
Grand Am opeN — $150 deposit or Payment in full is required to hold your space
Sunday, August 3, 2025
The Grand Am Open Competition is available to any Masters team who wants to compete in a qualifying New York State Championship. No qualification is required to join. Registration closes on May 31, 2025. Note: Space is limited for the Open Competition.
Fees: $350 entry ($300 if participating in Sunday VIP offering).
EXCLUSIVE VIP BBQ EXPERIENCEs — Entry fee discount
Teams have the opportunity to reduce their Grand Am entry fees by participating in the public VIP BBQ Experiences listed below. These Experiences will offer unique opportunities for Festival-goers to connect with barbecue teams. Note: Any Invitational team that chooses to participate in a VIP offering to lower their entry fee must participate in BOTH Saturday’s and Sunday’s VIP experiences (total discount of $200).
BBQ Pit Crew Pass — Saturday, August 2, 2:30pm - 4:00pm — $150 discount off Invitational entry fee: Teams will host a group of up to 6 individuals at their site from 2:30pm - 4:00pm on Saturday after last turn-in. Volunteers will escort the individuals to the participating team sites. Teams are encouraged to discuss how their cook went, the smokers they operate, what types of rubs, injections and sauces they use…. and provide some samples from their cook.
Honorary BBQ Judge— Sunday, August 3, 11:30am - 2:00pm — $50 discount off Open entry fee: Participating teams will turn in two boxes for all (4) meat turn-ins, consisting of at least (6) portions per box. Both boxes will be turned in at the same time at the official KCBS turn-in table. The official numbered box will go into the KCBS Judging Tent to be judged by 100% sanctioned KCBS Judges; a second box with a large “X” on the lid (no team numbers) will go to a separate Honorary Judging location. These “X Boxes” do not require garnish and are completely anonymous and strictly for the public VIP experience — they have ZERO bearing on the official KCBS judging. VIP Honorary Judges will be guided through the entire 4-meat competition (chicken, pork ribs, pork, brisket) by a Certified KCBS Judge — eating, comparing, and discussing entries as official judges do. There will be no public interaction with this VIP offering — teams just turn in their “X Box” at the KCBS turn-in table and leave.
TEAM REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Standard KCBS rules apply.
Space and activities within team space at the barbecue contest is at the team’s discretion/responsibility to plan, manage, clean, etc. within the scope of the event guidelines. Please refer to team packet for rules/guidelines.
Either a deposit or payment in full is required to hold team space, which will be assigned on a first-come basis in closest proximity to the turn-in location.
As part of their entry fee, all teams will be allocated a 20’ x 40’ pull-through space with (1) 20-amp (household) electrical drop and water availability from a central location. A 30-amp electrical upgrade is available (see below).
All team equipment and vehicles must fit completely within the allocated 20’x40’ space.
All teams are required to bring at least 100ft in extension cords.
Trash dumpsters will be available near the turn-in location. Teams are responsible for hauling their own trash to these dumpsters unless they upgrade to Individual Trash Pickup Service (see below).
Porta Potties will be available in a combined location near the turn-in location. Teams can upgrade to have their own Individual Porta Potty on their site (see below).
Setup and teardown must take place within the set time provided by the Grand Am.
Invitational Setup: Starting at 2:00pm Thursday, July 31, 2025, until 11:00pm Friday, August 1, 2025.
Open Setup: Starting at 2:00pm Friday, August 1, 2025, until 11:00pm Saturday, August 2, 2025. Open teams may be able to arrive on Thursday with prior approval.
Teardown: Beginning after awards on Sunday, August 3, 2025, team space must be cleared out/clean by no later than 10:00am on Monday, August 4. Please let us know if you desire to stay overnight on Sunday. Leave the space as it was on arrival.
The following items can be purchased through the Grand Am (see Site Add-Ons below): 30-amp Electric upgrade, Individual Trash Pickup Service, Individual Porta Potties, Individual Handwashing Stations, and Ice. 50-amp Electric drops are not available.
BASIC INFORMATION:
DEPOSIT REQUIREMENT: The Grand Am cannot hold space for ANY team without the required nonrefundable deposit or payment in full. Payment is due within 7 days of the team’s application. The remainder of fees must be paid in full by June 27, 2025 via a separate invoice or Venmo. The later teams pay, the further they’ll be located from the turn-in location.
TEAM CANCELLATION POLICY: Refunds are available for cancellations made by June 27, 2025, minus the nonrefundable deposit.
DEADLINES: Registration closes on May 31, 2025, and space will be assigned on a first-come basis close to turn-in. Invitational Teams must list the contest(s) and date(s) of their KCBS Grand or Reserve Grand Championship.
CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY: The Grand Am provides an experience that should be safe and free from threatening and intimidating conduct, including aggressive behavior, bullying, or loud and obnoxious vocalizing. We have a ZERO TOLERANCE policy toward any team whose members exhibit violence or threats of violence of any form; those teams will be asked to leave immediately without refund and will not be invited to return. Please respect our host location and your fellow teams.
PRIZE PURSE - GRAND AM INVITATIONAL: $50,000
Overall — paying out to 5th place: $15,000 GC / $7,500 RGC / $4,000 3rd Overall / $2,000 4th Overall / $1,000 5th Overall
Individual Categories — paying out to 10th place: 1st: $1,250 / 2nd: $1,000 / 3rd: $750 / 4th: $500 / 5th: $375 / 6th: $325 / 7th: $275 / 8th: $225 / 9th: $175 / 10th: $125
PRIZE PURSE - GRAND AM OPEN: $15,000
Overall — paying out to 5th place: $2,000 GC / $1,700 RGC / $1,400 3rd Overall / $1,200 4th Overall / $1,100 5th Overall
Individual Categories — paying out to 10th place: 1st: $350 / 2nd: $300 / 3rd: $250 / 4th: $200 / 5th: $180 / 6th: $160 / 7th: $140 / 8th: $120 / 9th: $100 / 10th: $100
MEMPHIS IN MAY PARTNERSHIP: In partnership between the Grand Am Invitational and Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, the Grand Champion of either event will win a guaranteed entry into the other contest plus $250 off their team entry fee. Plus, all teams who compete in either event will automatically get $100 off team entry into the other contest. (Teams may only utilize one discount offer per year.)
Site Add-ONS
The following items can be purchased through the Grand Am Registration links below and must be noted on the online application at check-out.
30 amp Electrical Upgrade - $100 — (As part of entry fee, (1) 20-amp (household) electrical drop is provided) Note: 50 amp service is NOT available
Onsite Trash Removal - $50 — (Without upgrade, teams are responsible for hauling their own trash to dumpsters near turn-in)
Onsite Porta Potty - $175 — (Without upgrade, Porta Potties will be available near the turn-in location)
Onsite Hand Washing Station - $175 — (Without upgrade, water will be available from a central location)
Wild Child Entry for both Saturday and Sunday - $20 per day — The Wild Child started as a Northeast tradition, where teams put $20 into the Wild Child pot, and one of the four meats is randomly chosen either at that morning’s 9:22 shot or right before awards are announced. Whichever teams scores 11th place in that meat gets the whole Wild Child pot.
Ice will be available on-site for purchase
TEAM APPLICATION
* REQUIRED FIELDS
Once submitted, you should be directed to the "Team Checkout Page". At that point, choose from multiple options for the contest and add them to your Cart. Check that the Cart holds all the contest options you want before checking out. No space will be held for any contest without at least the required nonrefundable Deposit.
INVITATIONAL & OPEN TEAM LIST (Sat & SUN)
As of 3.26.2025
Smokecraft, Bethesda MD
Brookside BBQ, Uxbridge MA
Philly Blind Pig BBQ, Philadelphia PA
Blue & Gray BBQ, Woodbridge VA
Hog Wash BBQ, Franklin MA
Grandpa Val’s BBQ, East Elmhurst NY
Smokin’ Hoggz BBQ, Middleborough MA (2011 Jack Daniels World Champion, 2014 American Royal World Champion)
Boggs Hog BBQ, Audubon NJ
El Jefe Smoke, Bedford NH
Uncle Pig’s Barbeque Pit, Paulsboro NJ (2022 KCBS Team of the Year, 2023 Jack Daniels World Champion)
Fire at the End of the Day, Danielson CT (2023 American Royal World Champion)
Chunky BBQ, Harrisburg PA (2024 American Royal World Champion, 2024 KCBS Team of the Year)
Gettin’ Basted, Nixa MO (2020 & 2018 KCBS Team of the Year, 2018 American Royal RGC)
Wolf’s Revenge, Henrico VA (Royal Oak Invitational GC, 2017 through 2022 MABA Team of the Year)
Cool Hand Que, Dacula GA
Brinkerhoff BBQ, Arvada CO
Q Shanty, Raynham MA
House of Que, Nashua NH
LG BBQ, Meriden CT
Paddy McQ’s, Danvers MA
HotMess BBQ, Mechanicsburg PA
Bushmaster, El Paso TX (2022 American Royal RGC)
Piggin’ Whiskey, Hot Springs AR
Top Gun Barbecue, Staten Island NY
The Fat Is Where It's At Barbeque, Lititz PA
Bad Rooster BBQ, Lavonia GA
Dig’n N Pig’n, Manchester NJ
Rooters-N-Tooters, Mount Pleasant TN
Cocamoke Smoke BBQ, Pensacola FL
Glamping Griller BBQ, Pelahatchie MS
OPEN TEAM LIST (SUN ONLY)
As of 3.18.2025
Lipstick on the Pig, Pine Valley NY
Oldman's Backyard B B QUE, Swedesboro NJ
Big Bobby’s Q, Harmony RI
Professor Smoke, North Granby CT
Let It Smoke Barbecue, Enfield CT
smoKINGBATKO BBQ, Latham NY
Meat Monarchy, Hingham MA
Bearded Boys BBQ, Pine Bush NY
Humphrey's BBQ, West Newfield ME
Cider Boys BBQ, Wilder VT
Sauce ‘Em & Toss ‘Em BBQ, Stratford NJ