Barbecue on the Bow is a free, family-oriented barbecue festival held on the Labour Day long weekend each September. It is built around Canada’s oldest sanctioned barbecue competition, the KCBS-sanctioned Alberta Championships.
About
Teams from across Canada and the US compete in the four required Kansas City-style categories, chicken, pork ribs, pork butt, and beef brisket, plus a Chef’s Choice, vying for prize money and a path to bigger championships like the American Royal. The competition runs alongside live local music, cooking demonstrations, food vendors, and family activities.
The BBQ on the Bow Society, a registered not-for-profit, was established in 1993 to promote southern-style barbecue and Alberta agricultural products. A 2026 food column notes the festival is celebrating its 35th anniversary that year, which points to a first edition around 1991. It started at Prince’s Island Park on the Bow River and has since moved to larger venues.