Pitmaster party kicks off The Woodlands BBQ Festival

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - Pitmasters from 14 of the barbecue joints who will be participating in the inaugural Woodlands BBQ Festival gathered at Corkscrew Barbecue in Old Town Spring on Monday Sept. 12 to cover event details, renew old friendships and make new friends.

The Woodlands BBQ Festival will be held on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016 at Town Green Park, 2099 Lake Robbins Drive in The Woodlands.

The Woodlands BBQ Festival is a community partnership between Stibbs & Co. Attorneys and The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce to benefit the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

“It was amazing to see so much talent gathered in one place,” said Stuart Lapp, a partner at Stibbs & Co. “The people in the room are masters of their craft. They are the best of the best.”

And they will all be showcasing their amazing talents with smoke and meat at the inaugural Woodlands BBQ Festival.

Several Pitmasters said they would have some new and unique dishes to sample in addition to the Central Texas barbecue “Holy Trinity” - brisket, ribs and sausage.

Proceeds from the festival will be donated to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

Lapp provided the assembled group with background information on the incurable disease and why his firm supports the cause: Jack Stibbs’ daughter was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension at age 3. Stibbs has spent the past 19 years raising awareness of the disease and raising money to fund research to find a cure.

“I am passionate about barbecue and Jack is passionate about finding a cure for PH” Lapp said. “Organizing a barbecue festival for this worthy cause seemed like a great idea.”

Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the vessels of the lungs and can lead to heart failure. There is no cure. Just twenty years ago, patients had a 50 percent chance of surviving 2.8 years past the date of diagnosis. Thanks to continued research, prognosis is improving.

Stibbs & Co. has been a longtime supporter of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association and began The Woodlands CrawPHish Festival in 1999 in order to raise funds and awareness for PH.

A barbecue festival presents a unique opportunity for guests to conduct side-by-side taste testing.

“If you went to each of these barbecue joints to try their food it would take you at least two weeks and would cost hundreds of dollars” said JC Reid, one of the festival organizers. "The festival brings them all together in one place."

Tickets are available for The Woodlands BBQ Festival at www.TheWoodlandsBBQ.com.