(HAMMOND)---How good does this sound? Great barbecue, great music, sweet tea, and a lot of fun are promised for the 2009 Smokin' Blues & Barbecue Challenge in Hammond.

The two-day event runs on Friday, March 27, and Saturday, March 28, at the Fairgrounds in Hammond.

Some 50 teams from around the country will compete for more than $12,000 in cash and prizes when it comes to barbecue cooking. More than 60 local teams will take part in the Backyard Boogie and Chicken Little Contest, making the barbecue event the biggest in Louisiana for the fifth year in a row.

There will also be the 3rd Annual Sweet Tea Challenge. It's free and open to anyone in Tangipahoa Parish and the surrounding areas. Bring a quart of your best sweet tea to register from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, March 28. Judging will be from 12:30 p.m. until 2 p.m. with the awards ceremony set for 3:55 p.m. There are two categories, individual and commercial, for restaurants, caterers, etc. There are big prizes involved here, so brew and bring your best!

Music will be provided, too. Bands are scheduled on Friday, March 27, from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. and Saturday, March 28, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.

The event will benefit Special Olympics Louisiana, T.A.R.C., and the Tangi Food Pantry.

For more info, call 800.617.4507 or 985.542.7520.

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