Big Blue BBQ at the Station presented by United Rentals

Turn up the heat, bring your boldest flavors, and join us for a smoky showdown at Kansas City’s iconic Union Station.  United Rentals and Union Station will be bringing competition barbecue to the RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRACKS with the sounds and smells of Kansas City’s favorite cuisine!  Register a team or become a sponsor to join the fun in Union Station’s north parking lot and Haverty Family Yards.   

Proceeds will benefit Union Station’s youth scholarship fund. 

Event Schedule

Thursday, October 8th, 2026
Noon – 4:00 pm Team Check-In

Friday, October 9th, 2026
10:00 am – Noon Team Check-In
Small Plate Friday with People’s Choice Contest & Sponsor Party

Saturday, October 10th, 2026
Turn in of 4 main meat categories, side and dessert & Awards Ceremony

Team Information

The Big Blue BBQ at the Station is open to any team that would like to compete. Teams will compete in Chicken, Pork Ribs, Pork (shoulder or Boston Butt) and Beef Brisket. To be eligible for Grand Champion, your team must turn in for all four categories. Teams can also compete in each category alone, plus a side and dessert. All categories will be turned in on a challenging, 10-minute window, on a half hour interval time schedule. All competition meats must be prepared and cooked on site.  KCBS allows for pre-trimming meat at home before inspection, as long as it is not injected, marinated, brined, or seasoned. The meat must be raw and in an unseasoned, unchanged condition until inspected. Pre-trimming enables efficiency and safe handling, but keeping the original labels is recommended for inspection.  

Each team’s cook space will be in Union Station’s northwest parking lot alongside the railroad tracks for an authentic throwback to bygone days. The prize money will total $20,000.  Teams will have multiple shared water access points around the grounds. If you are bringing an RV, plan to arrive with your tanks full.  

Each team registration will include either a 20×40 ($1000) or 20×20 ($650) space along with:

  • Electricity 20-amp, 120-volt circuit 
  • One 3-day parking pass in USKC parking garage 
  • Ten team weekends wristbands with access to Friday Night Entertainment
  • One ice punch card for 5 bags of ice 
  • Entry into your choice of all 4 meat categories, 1 side and 1 dessert 
  • Optional entry into Friday’s People Choice Awards
  • Additional wristbands are available online for purchase 

For questions about teams, contact Rod Gaul at [email protected].
To register your team, click here. 

Sponsorship Levels

Sponsor the barbecue at your preferred level and enjoy being part of the action. Below are the sponsor benefits. The top two levels already include the team registration, but participating as a team is optional. At the lower levels, you can sponsor to support this important weekend and also choose to register a team. We hope you join us! Sponsor wristbands include Friday night BBQ meal and drink tickets. 

For questions about sponsor, contact Cody Evans at [email protected].
To purchase a sponsorship, click here.

Hog Wild – $500

  • 2 Weekend Wristbands, 4 Drink Tickets
  • One Friday parking pass in USKC Parking Garage

Notorious P.I.G – $1,000

  • 4 Weekend Wristbands, 8 Drink Tickets
  • One Friday parking pass in USKC Parking Garage

Smokehouse – $1,500

  • 6 Weekend Wristbands, 12 Drink Tickets
  • Two Friday parking passes in USKC Parking Garage

Pitmaster – $2,500

  • 1 Team with a 20×20 cooking space (4 meat)
  • 8 Weekend Wristbands, 16 Drink Tickets
  • Equipment/Handout Table within Cook Space
  • One 3-day parking pass (Thursday – Saturday) in USKC Parking Garage
  • Two Friday parking passes in USKC Parking Garage

King of the Grill – $5,000

  • 1 Team with a 20×40 Cook Space (4 meat)
  • 20 Weekend Wristbands, 40 Drink Tickets
  • Equipment/Handout Table within Cook Space
  • Corporate Banner (provided by Sponsosr)
  • Private Harvey Girls Tour of Union Station*
  • One 3-day parking pass (Thursday – Saturday) in USKC Parking Garage
  • Four Friday parking passes in USKC Parking Garage

*Must be scheduled in advance; limited to 30 guests; expiration 9/30/27

Judge Information

Our judging tent will be located in Haverty Family Yards, just steps away from the competing teams.  We will have one centralized turn-in location for all categories.  

Judge applications must be submitted online through the KCBS portal, and each judge must have his/her own unique email address.  If you are interested in becoming a Certified BBQ Judge, please check the KCBS website for a class near you. 

For questions about being a judge, contact Jason Beckner at [email protected].  

To sign up to judge, click here.