10,000+ lbs
That’s how much meat vendors brought to the festival last year (pre-cook weight). The smoke alone is worth the drive.
Why Brands Choose to Partner
We are not asking you to “sponsor a local festival.” We are inviting you to partner with a 15-year proven platform that delivers high-value customers, sharable content, and genuine community impact in a single weekend.
LONGEVITY
Fifteen years is rare in the festival world. It signals community trust, operational excellence, and a loyal audience that returns year after year.
AUDIENCE
7,000–8,000 attendees with disposable income, a love of outdoor cooking, travel, and live music. These are your customers.
IMPACT
Over $250,000 raised for local children since inception. $50,000 granted in 2025 alone. Your partnership directly funds community efforts.
the strategic shift
“Come be a sponsor.”
“Partner with a proven platform that delivers customers, content, and community impact.”
Sponsors like Bush’s Beans, Sweet Baby Ray’s, and Traeger are not buying booth space. They are buying brand exposure, audience access, content creation opportunities, and the emotional goodwill of standing behind a cause.
WHO ATTENDS
Your Customer Already Attends
The Blue Ridge Blues & BBQ audience is not a casual crowd. They are high-value leisure consumers who travel for experiences, invest in quality, and have both the time and income to act on brand impressions.
AGE RANGE
30s to 60s
Prime spending years. Adults who make purchasing decisions and influence those around them. Returns year after year.
LIFESTYLE PROFILE
Outdoor Enthusiasts
BBQ lovers, live music devotees, travelers, food-curious, and proudly local-minded.
ECONOMIC PROFILE
Affluent Leisure Travelers
Second homeowners, frequent weekend getaway travelers with genuine discretionary income.
GEOGRAPHIC DRAW
Regional & Beyond
Visitors travel to Blue Ridge specifically for this event. Overnight stays and extended weekend spending accompany every ticket.
“Our attendees are not just visitors, they are high-value consumers with real discretionary income who make brand-level purchasing decisions. This is your exact customer, in one place, for one weekend.”
49 kegs
Blue Ridge BBQ & Blues holds Eagle Rock’s all-time single-day beer sales record set right here, in one afternoon.
MORE THAN A FESTIVAL
Community Impact
This event was built to give back. Every dollar of revenue generated is channeled toward local children’s charities in Fannin County. Sponsoring this event does not just put your logo in front of thousands of people — it connects your brand to something genuinely meaningful.
15 YEARS OF GIVING
$50k GRANTED IN 2025
$250k+ RAISED SINCE INCEPTION
“Every partner at this festival directly impacts the lives of local children in our community. That association is something no ad buy can manufacture.”
Festival proceeds support local children’s charities
Fifteen consecutive years of community reinvestment
Sponsors are recognized as community partners, not advertisers
Your brand tied directly to a cause that resonates with attendees
where your brand lives
Sponsorship at Blue Ridge Blues & BBQ is a multi-channel, multi-touch brand presence. Your brand reaches attendees before, during, and after the event.
ANNUAL FESTIVAL SHIRTS
• Sponsor logo printed on the official festival t-shirt
• Thousands of shirts distributed to attendees
• Walking brand impressions that last after the event
FESTIVAL PROGRAM
• Logo placement in the printed event program
• Distributed to all attendees on-site
• Kept as a keepsake by many loyal regulars
SOCIAL MEDIA
• Multiple pre-event shoutouts across social media
• 18,000+ followers on Facebook alone
• Mentions during event coverage/post-event recaps
• Tagging and cross-promotion opportunities
ON-SITE SIGNAGE
• Branded signage throughout the festival grounds in downtown Blue Ridge
• Stage mentions where applicable
• Branded zone naming rights at higher tiers
Bigger than the 4th
Both Walmart and Ingles report higher alcohol and meat sales during BBQ & Blues weekend than over the Fourth of July.
18k+ FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS
3x EXPOSURE WINDOWS ~8k ON-SITE IMPRESSIONS PHOTO & VIDEO CONTENT
Each tier is built to deliver real brand value, community alignment, and on-site presence. All partners are recognized across shirts, programs, social, and signage.
TIER ONE
Backyard
$1,000
Logo on annual festival t-shirt
Logo in printed event program
social media mention pre-event
Logo on festival signage
Community impact recognition
$2,500
All of the Backyard tier
2 social media mentions including during event
Featured in post-event recap content
On-site sampling or acti vation opportunity
Branded zone or area naming rights
Community impact featured recognition
8 Tickets/Food Passes Become a Backyard Sponsor
4 Tickets/Food Passes TOP TIER smokehouse
$5,000
All of the Pitmaster tier
12 Tickets/Food Passes MOST POPULAR
3 social media mentions including during event
Premium Logo placement: shirts, program, signage
Logo placement: Facebook album with tag & web link
Logo placement: Blues & BBQ website listing/link
Category exclusivity option available
1 Stage mention from MC
Photo & video content for brand reuse
All of the Smokehouse tier
4+ social media mentions including during event
12 Tickets/Food Passes
Category exclusivity option available
Custom branded activation zone
Multiple stage mentions from MC
Highest-level community impact co-branding
Become a Whole Hog Sponsor
CUSTOM PARTNERSHIPS
built around your brand
We are open to building activations that align directly with what you make and who you are. Named categories create exclusivity and brand identity that no generic tier can match.
Official Sauce Partner
Fan Favorite Award Sponsor
Official Grill Partner
VIP Tent Presenting Sponsor
brand activations
The most memorable sponsorships are the ones attendees walk through, taste, and remember. We build zones and experiences around your brand.
branded bbq zones
Named competition or tasting areas carry your brand into the heart of the action. “The Traeger Smoke Zone.”
“The Sweet Baby Ray’s Sauce Bar.”
Real estate where attendees linger, taste, and engage.
sampling stations
Direct product-to-mouth access with thousands of ideal customers. Sampling at a BBQ festival is not a passive impression, it is an immediate conversion opportunity. vip experience branding
Sponsoring the VIP tent puts your brand in front of the most engaged, highest-income segment of the audience. Premium placement, premium perception.
product demo stations
Live demonstrations in front of a highly receptive audience. BBQ tools, grills, sauces, and accessories all have a natural home here. Show your product in use.
People's choice award
Sponsor naming rights for the festival’s fan-voted competition award. Your brand is spoken from the stage, printed on the trophy, and shared in every recap.
social giveaways pre-event
“Win a Traeger + 2 Festival Tickets.”
Co-branded giveaway posts drive followers, build anticipation, and deliver your brand to our full audience weeks before event day.
CATEGORY EXCLUSIVITY AVAILABLE
We offer only one partner per product category at the Smokehouse tier. One sauce brand. One grill brand. One bean brand. Exclusivity increases your investment’s perceived and actual value — and protects your activation from competitor presence.
More than a sponsorship, this is an opportunity to align your brand with a beloved community tradition. Partner with an event that generates genuine customer engagement, creates memorable and shareable experiences, and connects your business with one of Blue Ridge’s most dedicated audiences, all while making a meaningful impact by supporting local children’s charities.