OFFICIAL COMPETITION RULES
COOK-OFF DAY
6:00 AM — Earliest arrival
8:00 AM — Set up complete / ribs issued
5:45 PM — Judging entries due
GENERAL RULES
• Pork side ribs will be provided to teams raw and unseasoned at 8:00 a.m. on the day of the competition.
• All types of gas, charcoal, or wood grills and smokers are permitted. Fryers and open-pit fires are not permitted.
• Teams are required to cook the maximum load of ribs for their cooker. Extra ribs are required for People’s Choice meals.
• Competitors must supply all equipment, tables, chairs, tent canopies, extension cords, and preparation and cooking supplies. If power is needed, teams may bring a generator. If power is required from the organizers, note this on the application.
• All cooking areas must be kept clean and sanitized in accordance with the provided regulations. No modifications may be made to the cook-space ground.
• Water will be available on site. Teams must bring their own container if needed.
• Closed-toe shoes and shirts must be worn.
• Excessive alcohol consumption is not permitted.
• The Crocus Hill Rib Cook-Off will be held rain or shine.
• The cook-off is a family-friendly event and is intended as a good-natured competition. Language and behaviour must remain appropriate.
• Completed entry forms and the $100 entry fee must be received by midnight on August 25, 2026. Crocus Hill Cook-Off logo T-shirts for team members are included in the entry fee.
• Most important rule: HAVE FUN!
SETUP & COOKING AREAS
1. Contestants may set up in their designated area the day before the event if prior arrangements are made. The Valleyview & Districts Agricultural Society is not responsible for theft or damage to belongings left set up overnight. Overnight camping is permitted.
2. Contestants may arrive as early as 6:00 a.m. on the day of the cook-off and must be fully set up by 8:00 a.m.
3. Team captains must check in with the Pit Boss. Cooking areas will be checked for cleanliness and proper setup.
4. Uncooked meat must be kept at a food-safe temperature of 4°C or below. The food danger zone is above 4°C and below 60°C; harmful bacteria can multiply rapidly in this range and may cause food-borne illness. Normal food-safety practices must be followed. Each team must supply a food thermometer for temperature checks.
5. Hands and work surfaces must be kept clean and sanitary. Each team must have a handwashing basin that is separate from its dishwashing basins.
6. Competitors must supply disposable food-safe gloves, garbage bags, and three sanitation basins for utensils and equipment: wash, rinse, sanitize, and air-dry. Use an approved food-contact surface sanitizer mixed according to the product label, and bring the appropriate test strips to verify concentration. A shared water source will be available to all barbecue teams.
7. Open burning is not permitted. Each team must use a grill or smoker raised off the ground. No modifications may be made to the cook-space ground.
8. Smoking is not permitted in cooking areas.
9. The Valleyview & Districts Agricultural Society is not responsible for theft of or damage to equipment, or for injury of any kind.
10. The BBQ Cook-Off organizers and Pit Boss reserve the right to make additional rules and regulations as situations arise. All decisions are final.
JUDGING
1. The team captain must submit the team’s rib entries to the Pit Boss no later than 5:45 p.m.
2. Entries must be submitted in the three containers supplied by the Pit Boss or organizers, with no garnish of any kind. Ribs must be divided into one-bone portions and identified using the supplied numbered or coloured toothpicks.
3. Each entry will be evaluated by three judges. Each judge may award up to 50 points, for a maximum combined score of 150 points. Judges will also provide comments for each category. An example scorecard is attached to the application. A disqualified entry will receive a score of zero from all judges. Any entry that is visibly undercooked or contains blood will receive a score of zero.
DISQUALIFICATION
1. The team’s entries are submitted after 5:45 p.m.
2. Gloves are not used while handling food products, or unsafe health practices are observed.
3. Fewer than three separate containers are submitted, or the meat is not identified with the supplied toothpicks.
WINNERS
Grand Champion • Reserve Grand Champion • People’s Choice Champion
1. Grand Champion (1st Place) and Reserve Grand Champion (2nd Place). First and second place will be determined by adding together the scores from all official judges. A tie will be broken using the People’s Choice token vote. The Grand Champion team name, team captain’s name, and year will be added to the three-foot trophy, which will remain on display in the facility. The Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion will also receive prizes engraved with their Crocus Hill Rib Cook-Off 2026 titles. This is a fun fundraising event.
2. People’s Choice Champion. The People’s Choice winner will be determined entirely by public voting while raising funds for the Valleyview & Districts Agricultural Society’s new facility, the Greenview Regional AgriPlex. The team receiving the highest number of official voting tokens when voting closes will be declared the People’s Choice Champion.
HOW PEOPLE’S CHOICE WORKS
• Official People’s Choice voting tokens are available for $2 each.
• All proceeds from token sales will support construction of the Greenview Regional AgriPlex.
• Guests may purchase as many voting tokens as they wish.
• Each token equals one vote.
• After tasting the ribs, guests place their token or tokens into the voting container of the team they believe deserves the People’s Choice Award.
• Guests may place all their tokens in one team’s container or divide them among multiple teams.
• Only official event-issued voting tokens will be counted.
VOTING
1.Voting begins when the event opens to the public.
2.Voting closes when officials collect the team voting containers for counting.
3.Once a token has been placed in a team’s voting container, it cannot be removed or transferred.
THANK YOU for supporting the Valleyview & Districts Agricultural Society and helping raise funds for our new facility, the Greenview Regional AgriPlex. We appreciate your team’s participation!
ALL ENTRIES AND FEES MUST BE RECEIVED BY AUGUST 25, 2026, AT MIDNIGHT
Questions? BJ Rohloff 780-552-3428 | Carrie-Anne Werklund 780-552-6362
Thank you for your interest — we can’t wait for this exciting new event!
FINAL AUTHORITY Interpretation of these rules and regulations rests with the organizers. Their decisions are final.
Questions: BJ Rohloff 780-552-3428 | Carrie-Anne Werklund 780-552-6362