Get Ready for a BBQ Battle

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One of the best aspects of summertime living is definitely cooking on the grill. If you enjoy indulging in all meats smothered in barbecue sauce or dry rubs, then you will not want to miss the Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle 2015! In fact, the National Capital Barbecue Battle has been named a "Top 10 BBQ Event" by both the Travel Channel and Discovery.com. This annual competition among both local and national barbecue artists takes place this weekend, June 27-28, in downtown Washington DC.

Even if you aren't exactly obsessed with barbecue, there is a variety of ways to enjoy this event. Visitors will not only be able to enjoy samples and food demonstrations, but also live entertainment from more than 30 bands. Some of the bands providing music stylings include The Morrison Brothers Band, The Exclusives, X-Factor, Chuck Brown Band, Be'la Dona, and more. There are also areas for BBQ-related merchandise, book signings and even an NBA exhibit.

Now back to the main event - the barbecue. Throughout the weekend, 7 different competitions will be held: Safeway's National Barbecue Championship, The National Pork BBQ Championship, Open Nature All Natural Lamb Contest, Safeway USDA Choice Best Beef Contest, Safeway Select Extra Meaty Rib Contest, America's Best Sauce Contest and Military Chefs Cook-Off. The winners of these contests will be awarded cash prizes and/or trophies.

Is your mouth watering in anticipation? The festival will take place off of Pennsylvania Ave., behind the Ronald Reagan Building, between 9th and 14th Streets. Festival hours are from 11 AM to 9 PM on Saturday, and from 11 AM to 7:30 PM on Sunday. Tickets, which range from $12 - $75, may be purchased online.

From your apartment home at The Louis at 14, this event is easily accessible via Metro. The closest stops to the event are at Federal Triangle, Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter, and Metro Center.

Enjoy one of the most popular summer events in Washington DC by joining in on the barbecue festivities! Your taste buds will be glad that you did! Have you attended the Barbecue Battle in pervious years? Do you plan to partake this weekend? Share your thoughts with us on The Louis' Facebook and Twitter pages! Pro-tip: Keep the napkins handy!

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