No trips to Texas or Missouri are necessary with your favorite kinds of barbeque just a ferry ride away. Barbecue masters from across the country spent Thursday setting up their outdoor kitchens as they prepare for the two-day Death’s Door BBQ competition on Washington Island.  The Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned event will feature approximately 25 teams who will try their best to win top honors for chicken, pork ribs, pork, beef brisket, and dessert. Door County residents will have a local to cheer for as Sturgeon Bay’s T-Mac’s Smokin BBQ Team continues its streak competing in the contest. In 2019, owner Tom McIntosh captured top honors on the second day for his pork entry after finishing in the top five overall the day before. He says the contest has garnered the attention of barbeque fans and cooks from across the country.

The ninth-annual Death’s Door BBQ Competition will be open to the public on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Washington Island Airport. The admission is free, but you can buy samples from the country’s best barbeque cooks while taking in the other activities.