LIFE FESTIVAL BBQ COOK-OFF Rules and Regulations

Welcome to the first annual Life Festival BBQ cook-off event, hosted by The Blue Room. There is additional information about the full Life Festival event in your packet. Your contacts for the BBQ portion of the event is as follows: Marcuss McBride: 972-639-7950 marcusmcbrd1@gmail.com Chris Reynolds: 903-316-6973 titanmechanic77@gmail.com **Please carefully read the information below. The Life Festival BB Cook-Off contest is opened to everyone over the age of 18. The event will take place at the First Monday Arbors, Canton, TX on May 18, 2013. Judging of the entries will begin at 12:00PM. An entry fee of $65.00 must be received by Life Festival Committee by May 4 th at 5pm for early registration. A $75 entry fee for registration after May 4 th. Deadline for registration is 5:00pm on May 17th. A maximum of 12 entries will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. All individuals or teams of four are allowed. Each team must have a Chief Cook. The Chief Cook is responsible for the conduct of the team/guests and cleanliness of their assigned cooking area. As well, the Chief Cook will be responsible for his teams compliance with these Rules and Regulations herein, set forth. The contest meat shall be St. Louis Ribs seasoned as the cook believes necessary for best taste. Brisket may be prepared on a wood, charcoal or gas fire, basted or not, as the cook sees fit. The meat for a contest entry may not be precooked or cured in any way prior to inspection at the beginning of the contest. Each Team must cook enough meat to be sampled by patrons for an hour of judging time, as well as any meat they intend to sell. Each team shall supply its own ingredients, grills, utensils, tables, tents, chairs, fuel (wood, gas or charcoal), or any item or material which the cook desires. No alcohol allowed on the Life Festival or First Monday premises at any time. Violations of this rule will result in immediate disqualification and expulsion from event. CHECK IN TIME, MEAT INSPECTION & PREPARATION The cook-off contest will take place, rain or shine. Check in time is between 6:00pm-8:00pm Friday May 17th. Reviewing of the meat will start at 8:30 Friday 17 th. Contest meat may not be seasoned, marinated, or pre-cooked in any manner before 8:30 PM on Friday May 17 th. All meats must be cooked on site. The preparation and completion of any and all meats in competition is within the cook-off site and during the time limits designated by the promoter.

PARTICIPANT AREA Cooking areas are approximately 10 feet wide and 20 feet deep. The cooking area is for BBQ pits and equipment only. No cars, trucks, RVs, ATVs, golf carts, etc., will be allowed in the cooking area after 7:00 a.m. Sat. 5-18-13. Teams may erect pop -up covers, tent covers, and / or enclose their space in any reasonable manner. A catch basin must be provided for ashes or coals dropped by participants cooker. No coal or hot ashes will be permitted to fall onto the grass or pavement. There will be NO ELECTRICITY available for teams. Please bring your own generator. Water is located near the cook off area. Generators must be quiet or muffled. Music within your team is allowed, however, excessive loud music and/or sounds which interfere with announcements, scheduled live bands and entertainment on stage, or which intrude upon or interfere with the comfort of fellow contestants will not be allowed. Offenders will receive no more than 3 warnings, and non-compliance will be grounds for disqualifications from the BBQ Cook-Off Competition and expulsion from the grounds. There are no holdovers, you must be cleaned up and moved out by 10:00pm, Saturday, May 18 th. JUDGING Judging will be by Peoples Choice. There will be one award given of 75% of the received entry fee. Taste testing time will be between 12:00pm-1:00pm Saturday, May 18 th. Life Festival Information Booth will give 12 tasting tickets, as well as a single voting ticket per patron. The patron can visit any BBQ teams he/she wishes. He will trade one tasting ticket for one small sample of any BBQ the team is cooking. The sample should be around two ounces (about two tablespoons of product, or one meaty rib). The sample containers will be provided. The patron will then return to the team that he believes has the best BBQ, and give his voting ticket to the team. The team will collect all voting tickets and turn them in to the Promoter by 1:30pm. The team with the most voting tickets wins the Peoples Choice Award. The winner will be announced at 2:30pm. **If the voting tickets are not turned in on time, the team will be disqualified from the Peoples Choice contest. PARKING Set up of cooking areas must be completed no later than 8am on May 18 th and all vehicles vacated from the festival grounds by that time and must be parked across the street in the designated parking area. TRASH AND OTHER DISPOSAL ITEMS It is the responsibility of the BBQ cooking teams to keep their area clean and assist in garbage disposal. Each team is responsible for bagging and disposing of their trash into the dumpsters provided. Assistance may be provided. DO NOT dump cooking oil or grease on the pavement, grass or in the trash cans and dumpsters. Damage to any of the aforementioned will result in damage and/or cleanup charges. All props, (hay bales, wood, etc) must be picked up and your area cleaned immediately following the event.

LIABLITY The Life Festival, its members, representatives, sponsors, officials and contractors shall not be responsible or liable for the property of any team, any loses, damage or injury occurring to any team, or its representatives. All property of the teams shall be under the care, custody and control of the team, whether in transit to, from or within the Life Festival and BBQ Cook-Off area. SANITATION & SAFETY Each team must comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Van Zandt County Health Department, including but not limited to: Meat must be kept at 40 degrees F or less before cooking; coolers with ice will keep it cold enough. After cooking, meat must be maintained about 140 degrees F and covered. Aprons, hats, and gloves must be worn by all cooks and assistants. Cleanliness of cooking area and personnel is required. No pets or small animals are allowed in cooking area. Cooking conditions are subject to inspection by judging committee. Infractions identified by the judging committee shall be immediately corrected or the cook will be subject to disqualification. **Each cooking team is required to have at least one type of fire extinguisher in full view at all times. PIT QUALIFICATION Any commercial or homemade, trailered or untrailered, pit or smoker normally used for competitive barbeque. A BBQ pit may contain gas or electricity for starting the combustion of wood or wood products but NOT to complete cooking. Pit shall be of a design that contains individual cooking chambers and heat sources (no sharing of heat sources). BYC (Backyard Cooker) any cooking device by design or nature that is inherently portable and by design is intended for recreational cooking.

SELLING OF BBQ Participant has the option of selling their food. A health permit must be obtained from City Hall in Canton, TX prior to the event for a one-time event fee of $25.00. Disqualification of teams for contest violations is at the discretions of the LF Representative. Disqualification of teams for other violations of the Promoters rules and regulations are at the discretion of the Promoters Representative. There are no appeals and no refunds. Included is a site map.