(Baby) Back Again: Spring Valley BBQ Festival Returns Oct. 14

Light those coals and fire up the grill, because it's once again time to find out the best amateur barbecue team in San Diego, as the Spring Valley Tailgate & BBQ Festival returns for its third year.

The always-popular event, co-sponsored by the , will once again be held on the closed-down Troy Street in front of . Since its inception in 2010, the festival continues to grow, and is able to raise more for youth sports in the Spring Valley area.

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The planning committee is currently looking for barbecue teams, vendors, and youth sports organizations to partner with them to put on another successful event.

Last year, about a dozen local amateur teas competed for the top 'cue prize with the "Smoked Out!" team of Doug Dowdy and Andrew Brailsford taking the Grand Champion prize. More importantly, more than $3,000 was raised and distributed to various youth sports organizations in Spring Valley.

This year, the festival will be bigger and better than ever.

The teams will be competing in different categories, offering up their best renditions of pork ribs, tri-tip, chicken, carne asada, and tailgate decorations. In addition, teams will be able to sell 2-ounce samples of their barbecue for $2 to festival guests from noon to 3 p.m. Half of the "BBQ Bucks" proceeds will go to the amateur team and half will go toward the youth sports benefactors.

There is no outside alcohol permitted at the event, though a beer garden will be set up outside Cali Comfort. And not to worry, football fans. NFL games will be shown on their 10 HD TVs. There will also be live music throughout the day, with performances by great local bands.

Forms, rules and regulations are attached to this story. The event is limited to 30 BBQ teams, and applications and fees must be submitted by Friday, Oct. 5.

If you are interested in participating either as a BBQ team, a non-food vendor, or a youth sports organization, please download the appropriate forms, or contact springvalleybbqfestival@gmail.com or call 619-670-9902. You can also download the forms here.

You can also visit the festival's website at www.springvalleybbqfestival.com, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. There is also a  topic page on Patch!

Meat will once again be generously donated by Valley Farm Market, a Spring Valley staple business since 1956. Event sponsors include:

Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce
Cali Comfort BBQ Restaurant & Sports Bar
Valley Farm Market
Dependable Disposal
D & S Termite
La Mesa/Mount Helix Patch
Left Coast Printing Pros
Best of Times
Union Bank
Duggan’s Collision Center
Monterey Trellis Assisted Care Facility
Snapp Films