January is one of the most active months on the Texas BBQ calendar. As rodeo season kicks off and competition teams fire up their pits for the new year, cookoffs, festivals, livestock shows, and championship events fill weekends across the state.
This guide highlights Texas BBQ events happening in January 2026, organized to help competitors, backyard cooks, and BBQ fans plan their month. Whether you’re chasing trophies, supporting youth programs, or building a BBQ road trip, this roundup gives you a clear place to start.
Quick Answer: What Texas BBQ Events Happen in January?
January in Texas features championship BBQ competitions, junior livestock and FFA cookoffs, rodeo-attached BBQ festivals, scholarship fundraisers, and nationally recognized BBQ education camps. Many events are IBCA or CBA sanctioned and serve as early-season qualifiers for major competitions later in the year.
Types of Texas BBQ Events You’ll See in January
January BBQ events generally fall into several categories:
- Championship BBQ competitions with large payouts and qualification implications
- Community and charity cookoffs supporting local programs and scholarships
- Junior livestock and FFA cookoffs tied to county shows
- Rodeo-attached BBQ festivals with concerts, carnival rides, and public events
- BBQ education camps focused on technique, fire management, and meat science
Understanding the event type helps you decide whether to compete, attend, or turn the trip into a full BBQ weekend.
Texas BBQ Events – January 2026
El Campo KC 2490 BBQ Cookoff
Dates: January 2–3, 2026
Location: El Campo, Texas
Type: Regional BBQ competition
Sanctioning Body: Champions BBQ Alliance (CBA)
An early-season CBA four-meat cookoff hosted by the El Campo Knights of Columbus, drawing teams from the Coastal Bend and surrounding regions.
Official Website: https://www.bbqevents.us
NCJLS Alumni BBQ Cook Off
Dates: January 2–3, 2026
Location: Robstown, Texas
Type: Alumni charity & junior livestock cookoff
Sanctioning Body: Independent / IBCA-style
An alumni-run cookoff benefitting the Nueces County Junior Livestock Show, supporting youth exhibitors through scholarships, awards, and facility funding.
Official Website: https://www.ncjls.org
Camp Brisket
Dates: January 9–10, 2026
Location: College Station, Texas
Type: BBQ education & training camp
Sanctioning Body: Texas A&M Meat Science & Foodways Texas
A nationally recognized two-day camp focused exclusively on Texas-style brisket, covering meat science, pit control, trimming, wrapping, and slicing techniques.
Official Website: https://www.foodwaystexas.org
Champions BBQ Alliance World Championship Cookoff
Dates: January 9–10, 2026
Location: Seguin, Texas
Type: Championship BBQ competition
Sanctioning Body: Champions BBQ Alliance (CBA)
The CBA World Championship brings together qualified teams from across the country to compete in a four-meat championship with major payouts and season-defining bragging rights.
Official Website: https://cbabbq.com
BBQ Road Trip Tip:
Seguin is within easy driving distance of Lockhart and New Braunfels. If you’re traveling for the championship, consider building a Central Texas BBQ loop using the ExploringBBQ Directory.
Big Buc BBQ Bash
Date: January 10, 2026
Location: Vidor, Texas
Type: Community BBQ competition
Sanctioning Body: International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association (IBCA)
An IBCA-sanctioned East Texas cookoff supporting local community causes and drawing a strong regional turnout.
Official Website: https://www.bbqevents.us
Maverick County Junior Livestock Show BBQ Cook-Off
Dates: January 16–17, 2026
Location: Eagle Pass, Texas
Type: Junior livestock BBQ cookoff
Sanctioning Body: International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association (IBCA)
A county livestock show cookoff supporting youth agricultural programs and awards through competition BBQ.
Official Website: https://www.barbecuenews.com
McMullen County Cowboy Cookoff
Dates: January 16–17, 2026
Location: Tilden, Texas
Type: Community cowboy-style BBQ competition
Sanctioning Body: Champions BBQ Alliance (CBA)
A traditional cowboy-style cookoff focused on four-meat competition and community gathering at the county fairgrounds.
Official Website: https://cbabbq.com
Hold’Em & Hit’Em Club BBQ Cookoff – Texas State Championship
Dates: January 16–17, 2026
Location: New Caney, Texas
Type: Texas State Championship BBQ competition & charity event
Sanctioning Body: Champions BBQ Alliance (CBA)
One of Texas’s longest-running BBQ events, hosting 100+ teams alongside steak cookoffs, Kids’ Q, bacon ancillaries, vendors, and scholarship fundraising.
Official Website: https://www.hhclub.org
Willacy County Livestock Show Cookoff
Dates: January 16–17, 2026
Location: Raymondville, Texas
Type: Livestock show BBQ cookoff
Sanctioning Body: Champions BBQ Alliance (CBA)
A CBA-sanctioned cookoff supporting the Willacy County Livestock Show with family-friendly fair activities.
Official Website: https://cbabbq.com
Smokin’ The Blues BBQ Cookoff
Dates: January 16–17, 2026
Location: Navasota, Texas
Type: Regional BBQ competition
Sanctioning Body: International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association (IBCA)
A regional IBCA cookoff combining BBQ competition with local entertainment and community events.
Official Website: https://www.bbqevents.us
Holy Smokes BBQ Cookoff
Dates: January 23–24, 2026
Location: Princeton, Texas
Type: Community & charity BBQ cookoff
Sanctioning Body: Champions BBQ Alliance (CBA)
A CBA-sanctioned cookoff often organized as a church or community fundraiser with multiple meat categories.
Official Website: https://cbabbq.com
Tomas FFA Chop & Chomp
Dates: January 23–24, 2026
Location: East Bernard, Texas
Type: FFA fundraiser BBQ cookoff
Sanctioning Body: International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association (IBCA)
An IBCA-sanctioned cookoff supporting East Bernard FFA programs and student agricultural education.
Official Website: https://www.bbqevents.us
Veronica Rocha Scholarship Fundraiser BBQ Cookoff
Dates: January 23–24, 2026
Location: Refugio, Texas
Type: Scholarship fundraiser BBQ cookoff
Sanctioning Body: International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association (IBCA)
A scholarship-focused cookoff honoring Veronica Rocha, with proceeds supporting local students and community programs.
Official Website: https://www.bbqevents.us
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Bar-B-Que Cook-Off & Festival
Dates: January 29–31, 2026
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Type: Rodeo-attached BBQ competition & festival
Sanctioning Body: International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association (IBCA)
One of the largest BBQ events in the country, featuring hundreds of teams, concerts, carnival rides, youth competitions, and scholarship fundraising.
Official Website: https://www.sarodeo.com
BBQ Road Trip Tip:
If you’re traveling to San Antonio, explore nearby BBQ joints featured in the ExploringBBQ Directory to make it a full BBQ weekend.
Humble Rodeo & BBQ Cook-Off
Dates: January 30–31, 2026
Location: Humble, Texas
Type: Rodeo-weekend BBQ competition & festival
Sanctioning Body: International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association (IBCA)
A long-running rodeo-weekend cookoff hosting up to 160 teams with Kids’ Q, public entertainment, and community activities.
Official Website: https://www.humblerodeo.com
Shiner FFA BBQ Cookoff
Dates: January 30–31, 2026
Location: Shiner, Texas
Type: FFA fundraiser BBQ cookoff
Sanctioning Body: Champions BBQ Alliance (CBA)
A CBA-sanctioned BBQ cookoff benefiting the Shiner FFA chapter and supporting agricultural education.
Official Website: https://cbabbq.com
WBCA Red, White & BBQ
Dates: January 30–31, 2026
Location: Laredo, Texas
Type: City festival BBQ cookoff
Sanctioning Body: Champions BBQ Alliance (CBA)
A patriotic-themed BBQ cookoff tied to Laredo’s Washington’s Birthday Celebration, blending competition BBQ with a citywide festival.
Official Website: https://cbabbq.com
How to Use This Guide
- Competitors: Identify early-season contests and qualifiers
- Fans: Plan tasting trips and festival weekends
- Travelers: Combine cookoffs with nearby BBQ joints using our Directory
We want to hear from you
Know of a January BBQ event we missed or planning to attend one of these cookoffs? Share it in the comments and help us keep this guide accurate and up to date.
👉 Looking for February events next? We’re tracking those now.
Want to turn an event weekend into a full BBQ experience?
👉 Explore nearby BBQ joints in the ExploringBBQ Directory and start planning your next Texas BBQ road trip.
