Wildomar cookoff cools, carnival heats up for Sunday

The Wildomar Rotary Club hosted an ultimate barbecue showdown — East vs. West — to discover whose barbecue rubs, sauces, marinades, and grilling techniques can produce the best flavors in the world.

The carnival, featuring a Ferris wheel, swing rides, games, and tons of family fun continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at 21330 Waite St. in Wildomar. (Ashley Ludwig/SWRNN)

See photo gallery here.

Contestants of the barbecue contest ranged from friends, to fans, to professionals. And with the public tasting to decide several category winners — everyone wins.

Starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, contestants had the grills going as the crowd filtered in, the air scented with aromas of sizzling bacon, pork rinds, Tri tip, and, of course, ribs.

This was the third annual barbecue contest, hosted by the Wildomar Rotary Club.

“We are giving away $12,000 in price money, all day, as well as having drawings for everything from pizzas to a smoker grill,”  President Henry Silvestre said. “We are the largest barbecue contest in the state, with 42 teams from six to seven states, from California to Florida, and even one team from the United Kingdom, outside of London.”

The Rotary Club offered 100 percent of the proceeds to its Wildomar chapter with the funds going toward international dignity bags, an orphanage in India, and the majority to the local food bank, bicycle safety awareness, and the local save the parks campaign, according to Silvestre.

Contestants and local Southwest Riverside natives from the Rooftop Barbecue Team — Andy Allen, Keith Henson, Joe Angelone, and Kellen Wagoner — had set their sights high.

“We’ve won a few awards, but we’re the underdogs,” spokesperson Keith Henson said. “Our goal is to win a grand championship on a grill we made ourselves.”

For residents who missed the BBQ and all its fixins’, don’t worry.

The carnival, featuring a Ferris wheel, swing rides, games, and tons of family fun continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at 21330 Waite St. in Wildomar.

Admission is $5.

For more information, visit: www.wildomarrotaryclub.org.

Ashley Ludwig is a local writer and regular contributor to SWRNN.

*Editor: Please note correction to admission cost.