Memphis in May looks to move barbecue contest out of Tom Lee Park. Here's what we know.

Memphis in May is actively looking for a new home for the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.

In a letter sent to barbecue teams Friday, Memphis in May President Jim Holt stated, "Considering the final park design, and the extraordinary, punitive restoration fee, Memphis in May is exploring venue options other than Tom Lee Park for the future."

Tom Lee Park has been the home of the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest since 1979.

The contest has only been held outside Tom Lee Park three times in its history. In 1978 — the contest's first year, the event was held on Beale Street in a parking lot by the Orpheum. Back in 2011, the event moved to Tiger Lane as the river flooded to record levels. In 2022, the event was held at the Fairgrounds in Liberty Park due to the remodel construction at Tom Lee Park.

Damages to Tom Lee Park spark the move

On Aug. 2, Memphis in May received an invoice from the Memphis River Parks Partnership for $1,425,366.00 to restore Tom Lee Park following its 2023 events.

In his Aug. 11 letter, Holt stated that the sum is approximately 23 times the average restoration expense ($61,832) Memphis in May has experienced in the past decade for its prior use of Tom Lee Park.

In a previous interview with The Commercial Appeal, Carol Coletta, president of Memphis River Parks Partnership, described the damages to Tom Lee as “considerable,” noting the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest had a greater impact on the park than Beale Street Music Festival.

Damage expenses included $525,069 for concrete repair, $284,203 for asphalt repair, $177,067 for sod replacement and $114,048 for landscape repair.

Memphis in May had previously put down a $250,000 damage deposit for the use of Tom Lee Park, with the City of Memphis pledging an additional $500,000 to cover any damage costs. That leaves roughly $675,000 that Memphis in May is still responsible for.

At the time of the 2023 Memphis in May events, Tom Lee Park was nearing the end of a $61 million redevelopment. Work on the park re-commenced immediately following Memphis in May.

"I really hope the barbecue contest will remain Downtown and that the barbecue teams will find a place that allows them to load in and out more easily than they can in Tom Lee Park," Coletta said Monday.

Coletta said they received many compliments from Memphis in May participants, but that even those who liked the new park admitted that they felt that the new location was not as easy as in years past.

"We are disappointed because the park was built to the specifications given to us by Memphis in May," she said. "I for one hope their new venue is Downtown."

She said Tom Lee Park is scheduled to open to the public Sept. 2.

When asked for comment, Memphis in May issued the following statement Monday: "We have submitted a claim with our insurance carrier and will have a statement at the appropriate time."

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'Memphis in May and the river are one in the same,' BBQ competitors say

During the 2023 competition, there was much discussion among teams that 2023 may be the last year for the contest to be held in Tom Lee Park.

While many mentioned that the location at Tiger Lane in 2022 had been logistically easier, the common consensus was that this iconic Memphis event belonged on the Mississippi River.

"It doesn’t get more Memphis than BBQ Fest in Tom Lee Park," said Gordon Stark, a founding member of Barbecue Republic, a team that has competed for 30 years and placed second in the whole hog category in 2023. "I have maintained all along that the river is the reason. The sunsets, having both bridges illuminated, the breeze on the upper deck and, hell, even watching the storms roll across the river in all of their frightening Southern majesty."

2023 was the 20th year for Hall Pass BBQ to compete. “Memphis in May and the river are one in the same,” founding team member Tom Cassidy III said at this year's competition.

Being on the Mississippi River is a draw for many out-of-town barbecue teams.

“The river adds so much to this competition,” said Chris Lilly, the award-winning pitmaster for Big Bob Gibson out of Decatur, Alabama, in an interview at the 2023 contest. “There is just something about watching the barges float by. You can’t get this atmosphere at any other competition anywhere.”

“It’s not Memphis in May unless it's here," said Delaniah Bringle, lead pitmaster for the Nashville-based all-female whole hog team “I Only Smoke When I Drink" on the first day of the 2023 contest.

1986 was the first year Memphis pitmaster Ernie Mellor competed in Memphis in May. Mellor is the pitmaster for HogWild competition team and owner of HogWild Real Memphis Barbecue Catering Company. After 37 years, he has seen the competition grow and change — and he does not want to see it leave Tom Lee Park. "They never should have done this to the park," he said, citing the new park design is not conducive to events like the barbecue cooking contest.

"It really boils down to two things," said Alex Boggs, founding member of the 2023 shoulder division-winning team Sweet Cheeks BBQ. "The two things that separate us are the fact that we are the largest competition and that we are on the river. I am afraid that not being on the river devalues what we are doing and that as we get smaller, what will keep us as the world championship?"

Boggs added despite where the 2024 contest is held, his all-Memphian team will compete. "Sweet Cheeks is here to support Memphis in May for many years to come — no matter where it is held."

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In the letter, Holt assured barbecue teams that the contest will happen in 2024.

"Rest assured; the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest will go on in 2024 and in the future. We are currently working to identify a new location for the contest and will keep you posted."

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer. 

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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis in May looks to move barbecue contest out of Tom Lee Park