VIDALIA — The River View RV Park in Vidalia was packed full of grills and appetites Friday, as cooks from all over the area brought their best food and recipes to compete for trophies and bragging rights at this year’s Bowie Barbecue Contest.

The contest categories included beef, chicken, pork and other, and each group entered in the contest claimed they had the best of each.

The team from Concordia Trust and Bank Company entered the beef, chicken and pork categories and team members said they were confident in their barbecue.

Team member Dorothy Millican said the group had been preparing since approximately 8 a.m.

Entrees of seafood rolled steak, beer-can chicken and pork loin were all on the menu for Concordia Trust and Bank Company in their sixth year in the contest.

Other than the pride of taking home the trophy, Millican said the whole day of cooking and competing is a lot of fun.

“You get to meet people from all over,” she said. “We look forward to competing in it every year.”

Robert King said he and his group, Nomistake Smokers, from West Monroe entered the contest to win.

“Who wants money when you get a trophy?” he said.

King said the group entered every category, and that they love sharing food with people at the event.

“We are usually telling people to come over and eat,” he said. “Getting to know everyone is a fun experience, but the real enjoyment is in placing.”

King said he has a homemade recipe called a Cactus Roll, that contains avocado, sour cream, pulled pork and cheeses all rolled up into flour tortilla.

Don Wood said he and his wife, Roberta, came out to compete, relax and eat.

“My wife is the excellent cook,” he said. “I just come out here for the good food.”

Wood also said that while everyone at the contest was being nice, the competition was keeping a tight lid on their food.

“Some people have been pretty secretive about their recipes,” he said.

“And we have a few secret weapons of our own.”

Larry Brent said he and his family from Gonzales came out to compete in the pork, chicken and beef categories, but more importantly they came out to share some quality family time.

“I am cooking and eating with my two sons and my nephew,” he said.

“Everybody here has been nice and we are just having a good time.”