After being postponed late last year, Sunshine City Smokeout happens Feb. 11, 2023 at Spa Beach Park in St. Petersburg, Florida. Credit: Photo via Marco/Adobe
If you’re at the St. Pete Pier this weekend and see smoke in the air, don’t worry. Teams from across the country are in The ‘Burg to find out who has the best barbecue pulled pork, ribs, sausage and sauce.

After being postponed late last year, tickets to the Sunshine City Smokeout happening Saturday, Feb. 11 from noon-9 p.m. at Spa Beach Park in the shadow of the St. Pete Pier are on sale now and start at $15. VIP includes seating in the shade, drink tickets and light snacks. (Creative Loafing Tampa Bay is also offering a $10 deal for general admission and $45 for VIP).

Attendees will be able to vote for their favorite pit crew, and food costs anywhere from $5-$20, according to event organizers. It’s supposed to be in the mid-60s on Saturday, with minimal chance of precipitation, but the event is happening rain or shine.

Bobby Friss, a classic-rock favorite at motorcycle festivals across Tampa Bay, headlines the music lineup, which includes Logan Grant (whose band the Show Ponies is secretly one of the best bar bands in town), plus unabashed big hair, rock and roll impresarios The Dirty Janes.

This article appears in Feb 2-8, 2023.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...