VENICE - The Suncoast BBQ Bash is Southwest Florida’s marquee barbecue and bluegrass event attracting tens of thousands of folks every year. Venice plays host to elite barbecue cook teams and award-winning bluegrass bands from all over the United States. If you have never tasted award-winning barbecue or heard toe-tapping bluegrass music, you are in for a treat!

The event starts Thursday night with the Meet Our Champions party at Snook Haven featuring Cookin’ with Kids. On Friday there is the annual Sporting Clays Tournament followed by the TGIF Party at 5 PM with a classic car & truck cruise-in, a fish fry dinner and live music by the Swing Bridge bluegrass band and friends. Saturday will be a full day of BBQ, Bluegrass & Ice Cold Budweiser! We promise you’ll have a lot of fun and you won’t go home hungry!

Full Event Schedule

THURSDAY – APRIL 19

MEET OUR CHAMPIONS

The welcoming of our champions, sponsors, media sponsors and the volunteer committee at Snook Haven, 5000 East Venice Ave., Venice, FL. 34292. Tickets are $25. Buy your ticket today!

• 5 PM - MEET & GREET
• 5 PM - ENTERTAINMENT BY THE GATOR CREEK BAND
• 6 PM – KIDS BURGER COOK-OFF
• 6 PM – BUFFET DINNER
• 7 PM – AWARDS & THE ROASTING OF A FRIEND

FRIDAY – APRIL 20

FUN SHOOT

Enjoy a day of sporting clays shooting at the Sarasota Gun Club, 3445 Rustic Road, Nokomis, FL 34275.

• 9 AM – REGISTRATION & WARM UP SHOOTING
• 9:30 AM – SAFETY MEETING & BIRDS FLY
• 12 PM – LUNCH & AWARDS

TGIF PARTY

Enjoy an evening of Fish ‘n’ Chips and talk with your favorite Pitmasters, BBQ Judges and Pepper Heads. There is free live Bluegrass Entertainment, Classic Car Cruise-In and Kids Park.

• 5 PM – MEET AND GREET THE CONTESTANTS & FRIENDS
• 5 PM – AN EVENING OF BLUEGRASS WITH THE SWINGING BRIDGE BLUEGRASS BAND WITH FRIENDS
• 5 PM – 9 PM - OLD TOWN SALOON
• 5 PM – 9 PM - KID'S PARK
• 6 PM – FISH FRY DINNER
• 6 PM – TGIF CRUISE-IN

SATURDAY – APRIL 21

PROFESSIONAL BBQ COOK-OFF

The nation's top BBQ teams will compete for a $20,000 purse, supported by Smokin' with Smithfield, plus invitations to the World Food Championships and the Sonny’s Smokin’ Showdown. The contest is sanctioned by the Florida BBQ Association and is a qualifier for the Jack Daniels World Championships and the American Royal World Series of barbecuing.

• 11 AM – PUBLIC TASTING OF GENUINE COMPETITION BBQ by cash
• 11 AM - FBA CERTIFIED JUDGING

AN AFTERNOON OF BLUEGRASS

Bluegrass music is an age-old tradition from the Appalachian Mountains. If you love speedy banjo pickin’ and high lonesome vocals come spend an afternoon with top award-winning bluegrass bands Volume 5, Russell Moore and III Tyme Out and the Lonesome River Band. The concert is FREE but you need to bring a comfy chair or blanket. Umbrellas, tents, and coolers are prohibited. Donations are always welcome.

• 11:00 AM – SWINGING BRIDGE
• 12:15 PM – LONESOME RIVER BAND
• 1:30 PM – RUSSELL MOORE AND IIIrd TYME OUT
• 2:45 PM – VOLUME FIVE
• 4:00 PM – AN APPALACHIAN JAM
• 4:45 PM – TRIBUTE TO OUR FRIENDS

CHILI COOK-OFF

Thirty teams will compete for a $1,000 cash purse and an invitation to World Food Championship. Awards are also given for the best showmanship, best restaurant and the people’s choice.

Sampling tickets will be sold for five dollars each.

• 11 AM – PUBLIC SAMPLING by ticket
• 12 PM – JUDGING

CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT

The tournament will be a 64-team bracket–style with pairing determined by a random drawing. The top three winners will share a $500 purse.

• 11 AM – REGISTRATION & WARM UP
• 12 PM – DOUBLE ELIMINATE PLAY WITH AWARDS TO FOLLOW

PIG PEN

A private area for sponsors only.

• 11 AM – 5 PM

KID’S PARK

The park is free to all children.

• 10 AM – 5 PM - Games & Rides
• 11 AM - 1 PM - Canine Friends
• NOON - 3 PM - Face Painting
• 1 PM - 3 PM - Clowns

OLD TOWN SALOONS

Enjoy a variety of Craft Beers from Goose Island, Firefly Moonshine, Kentucky Gentleman Bourbon, Deep' Eddy Vodka, Platinum Gin, Fireball, Blue Chair Rum and Margaritaville Gin.

• 11 AM – 6 PM

COMMUNITY SAFTEY EXHIBITS

Browse through the many different exhibits from the Sarasota Couty Sheriff's Office, the City of Venice Fire & Police Departments, North Port Police Department and Florida Wildlife Commission.

• 10 AM – 5 PM

THE BARN

Stroll around and see classic cars and trucks, vintage NASCAR cars and antique tractors from years gone by.

• 10 AM – 5 PM

GENERAL STORE

Take advantage of dozens of products and services that have been donated or pick out your favorite event souvenir: T-shirts, hats, aprons and more! Don’t forget to buy your raffle ticket for the 50/50 cash drawing.

• 10 AM – 5 PM

AWARDS PRESENTATION

The final moment all the contestants are waiting for, who are the winners!!

• 5:00 PM – COOKIN' WITH THE KIDS
• 5:15 PM – CHILI COOK-OFF
• 5:30 PM – BBQ COOK-OFF

***Times and events subject to change. Please see terms of service for details.

Venice Homes for Sale

Included below are homes for sale in Venice. If you would like more information on any of these Venice real estate listings, just click the "Request More Information" button when viewing the details of that property. We can provide you with disclosures, past sales history, dates and prices of homes recently sold nearby, and more.

And, if you haven't already, be sure to register for a free account so that you can receive email alerts whenever new Venice listings come on the market.