Mclouth ? About 50 cooking teams will participate this weekend in the 14th annual McLouth BBQ Blowout.

But barbecue won’t be the only attraction to the event, which begins Friday evening and continues through Saturday at Prairie Park.

“We added the carnival last year and that just went over really well, so we’re doing that again,” said Cheryl Wonnell, advertising coordinator.

The carnival will run from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. until closing on Saturday.

There also will be a motorcycle show, model radio-controlled airplane show, petting zoo, pedal power tractor pull and three-on-three basketball tournament.

About 3,000 people generally attend the two-day event, Wonnell said.

This year there will be a new category in the barbecue contest, a sauce judging category. Judging will take place at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

“We had some cookers request this,” Wonnell said.

Barbecue stands will be set up along what is commonly called Smoker’s Alley. People attending also can get in on the judging by voting in “people’s choice” barbecue categories.

An award presentation for the barbecue contest will be at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The contest is part of the Northeast Kansas State BBQ Contest Championship series and is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. It is sponsored by the McLouth Recreation Commission.

Coinciding with the Blowout is the citywide McLouth garage sale.