It is barbecue season, in Sparks, meaning plenty of brisket and pulled pork.
Tens of thousands of slabs of ribs will be seasoned, cooked, and eaten between now and Labor Day.
"We were fortunate," Mark Ricks said. "We took first place sauce last year, and we're going to give them a run for their money, this year, as well."
Ricks is the owner of "Uncle Bub's BBQ."
Like him, other rib cookers say they sell about 1,200 slabs at a typical cookoff.
But here, many companies sell 4,000-5,000.
"We come from the Midwest and people know state fairs are real big and that kind of thing," Jon Bigalk said. "When I describe it to my friends, back there, I say 'we're going to the state fair of barbecue.'"
Bigalk owns Willingham's World Champion BBQ.
He is one of 24 different rib cookers who are getting their smokers ready, and stocking up on plenty of wood and propane.
"Today, they're all unpacking," John Ascuaga's Nugget Public Relations Manager Lauren Garber said. "They got the final okay to start cooking their meat. So, you'll actually smell it as you're walking around down here."
"Yesterday morning, we started setting up and we started at about 8 o'clock in the morning," Ricks said. "We have everything set and we got inspected by the health department, this morning, so we're starting to cook."
This festival brings almost $25 million into the local economy and even creates jobs.
Along with their own staff, many rib cookers hire locals to help.
But it's not all about the ribs.
"We have a kids area, this year, with a lot of new games," Garber said. "There's ribs but of course, there's sides as well. We have a lot of fried foods here. Some healthy stuff, too, of course, lemonade, drinks. It's just a great place to come and hang out."
There's also a lot of construction projects, as crews set up booths and stages for the more than 40 bands performing over the next six days.
With so much going on, people say the rib cookoff is great for everyone involved.
"The thousands of people that come down to help celebrate this event make it a great time," Bigalk said. "That is absolutely the best. And then we get this beautiful spot in the country to do it in."
The Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off starts Wednesday at 11 AM.
For more information, go to http://www.nuggetribcookoff.com/
Written by Paul Nelson
