Drive-in or fly-in to the 11^th Annual Pigz In Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Festival COVID Style at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, located at 5200 Airport Road in Zephyrhills, on April 10 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce proudly invites BBQ and Blues enthusiasts to join in this wonderful event to benefit local charities.

“Because of the pandemic, the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce felt the need to alter our highly successful Festival to help ensure the safety of our guests, volunteers, staff, and vendors,” explained Melonie Monson, CEO of the Chamber. “We chose to emphasize the concert, scale back the vendors, and re-envision how we could gather to safely enjoy BBQ and Blues in 2021.”

The cornhole tournament will be going on throughout the day organized by the Tampa Cornhole Association, along with a Drive-In BBQ from 11 am – 2 pm for those who prefer not to be out and about.

Fantastic BBQ will also be available from 3-7 for concertgoers and limited vendors will be onsite for beer, wine, drinks, and barbecue.

From 4-7 pm, an outdoor Blues Concert by Chuck Riley’s All-Stars will entertain attendees. For COVID-19 safety, 10×10 “boxes” that seat up to six people will be offered. Each box has seven feet of safety distance in all directions for social distancing. The boxes should be reserved in advance here. Prices range from $40 – $100 per box and you only sit with people you know.

Chuck Riley’s All Stars features Hector Anchondo, Damon Fowler, RJ Howson, Justin Headley, and Rob Stoney for smokin’ hot licks to accompany the fine barbecue offerings. Limited vendors will be on-site, purveying BBQ, beer & wine, drinks, and more.

For 2021’s event the BBQ contest had to be cancelled, but three popular local Barbecue contestants have joined the Zephyrhills Chamber to smoke their finest chicken and pork to tempt attendees.

With limited vendors, and no barbecue competition, the 11^th Annual Pigz in Z’Hills Barbecue and Blues Festival will look different than in previous years, but we are excited about this COVID-friendly format and hope you will be too. 

Live Blues Music and World-class Barbecue

The Advent Health Stage will be alive from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with an impressive line-up of blues music to include Chuck Riley’s All-Stars featuring Hector Anchondo, Damon Fowler, RJ Howson, Justin Headley, and Rob Stoney.

Rent your concert box here and bring your lawn chairs for at-home comfort with national quality blues music to entertain you in your own private Blues Zone!

No seating will be available at the event, and there will be no parking fees, so plan to invest that cash on some fine, quality barbecue goodness.

Saturday’s Cornhole Tournament has Levels for All

The Tampa Cornhole Association has held a cornhole tournament for amateurs and pros at Pigz in Z’Hills for the past several years. This popular activity returns for 2021 and you are invited to participate. You can sign up for the division that fits you best here.

The ‘Well-Seasoned Division’ for more skilled competitors is $40 per team and will have a total payout of $700, as well as 1st, 2nd & 3rd place trophies. The Well-Seasoned Division competition will begin at noon. The practice round begins one hour prior to start.

A ‘Still-Marinating Division’ is available for recreational competitors and cost’s $20 per team to enter. Prizes will include 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies along with BBQ swag bags full of goodies and will begin at 2:00 p.m.

Car Show and Military Museum included

In addition to the live blues music and cornhole tournament, the YMCA will be at the festival with free kidz activities.

Enjoy the Swine-N-Shine Car Show. Classic cars, bikes, and trucks are welcome to display for only $10. Free to browse from 11 am to 3 pm.

The Zephyrhills Museum of Military History, located across the street from the festival, will be open for visitors to enjoy its impressive and unique collection of memorabilia and information. 

Drive thru BBQ is Available at the Festival

Three of the Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ teams are stepping up to help support the community in a time of need by donating their time and money to cook all the BBQ.

Chicken dinners, pork dinners and combo dinners, all of which include two sides and a roll are available for $15 each. Buy your dinner(s) online here, then just drive up to the Drive Thru BBQ tent at the Festival and pick up your delicious meals, prepared with love. Drive thru BBQ will be open from 11 am to 2 pm.

If you are planning to attend the concert, barbecue options include chicken, pork, brisket, or combo for $15 – or a Family Combo for $50 which includes 4 sides, rolls, and a combo of meats. These options are available here, with purchased concert ticket.

“We really want to thank Kevin Bahr of Bahr’s Propane Gas & AC, Randy Light with PuroClean, and Jack Peacock of Backman BBQ for their donations of time, talent, and treasure. These are the generous BBQ pros who will be preparing your feast at Pigz in Z’Hills,” expressed Melonie Monson, CEO of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, “Give them a shout out at the Festival!”

Pigs in Z’Hills is a Community Fundraiser

Pigz in Z’Hills has helped The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce to provide $35,000 in scholarships for local Zephyrhills area students in the 10 years since its inception.

Students aren’t the only ones benefitting from Pigz in Z’Hills. Many local 501(c)3 youth groups and charities that dedicate time and talent to make this a successful event are awarded donations raised from the event.

The event’s success has allowed the Chamber to “Pay it Forward” with donations to scholarships, youth leadership programs, and children’s charities every year since its beginning. This year will be no different, so please come out and enjoy the music, food, fresh air, and community.

Bloodmobile will be on-site for Donations

The OneBlood Blood Mobile will be on-site at this year’s festival.  All donors will receive BBQ dinner voucher and a wellness checkup including blood pressure, temperature, iron count, and cholesterol screening!

It takes a Village to put Pigz in Z’Hills On

The Festival is presented by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and is a “Experience Florida’s Sports Coast” event in partnership with the City of Zephyrhills and Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, AVCON, American Infrastructure Development, Suncoast Credit Union, PuroClean, Advent Health Zephyrhills, Sonny’s BBQ, T-Mobile, CenterState Bank, Bahr’s Propane Gas & AC, Jarrett Ford, Pepin Distributing, and TECO.

Advertising Partners include NatureCoaster.com, The Laker/Lutz News, Tampa Bay Times, Zephyrhills Free Press, and Tampa Type & Print.

11^th Annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues at-a-Glance

• Saturday, April 10, 2021, from 11 am to 7 pm at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, 5200 Airport Road
• Live Blues Music from Chuck Riley’s All-Stars from 4 – 7 pm in socially distanced “boxes” for rent from $40 – $100 for up to 6 guests.
• Bring your own chairs and blankets for comfort.
• BBQ Dinners available for Drive-Thru pickup (11 am – 2 pm) or onsite consumption (3-7 pm). $15 for chicken, pork, or combo
• Cornhole Tournaments for amateurs and semi-pros will be held at the event. Entries can be made here. Tournaments are organized by Tampa Cornhole Association. Prizes will be awarded.
• The Swine n Shine Car Show returns to Pigz in Z’Hills Enter your show car, truck, or bike for $10
• Enjoy walking about to see the sweet rides on display for free.
• Visit the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History as part of the event.
• Kids Activities will be available by the YMCA.
• The Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues event helps raise funds for area student scholarships, nonprofits, and youth leadership programs.
• The OneBlood Bloodmobile will be on site for donations. There is a critical blood shortage in the area.
• No Coolers | No Pets –Service Animals ONLY
• For more information, visit https://www.zephyrhillschamber.org/bbq-blues or call 813-782-1913.