The tradition of the Roots Festival in Paola will continue Friday and Saturday, as musicians and barbecue enthusiasts gather on and around Park Square. It will be the 34th year for the festival, which will take place Friday, Aug. 25, and Saturday, Aug. 26. There will be a change this year to the barbecue competition, which is always one of the highlights of the festival. Barbecue organizer Jon Smail said there will still be the East Central Kansas State Barbecue Championship, but there will also be a backyard cookoff this year. Smail said about 25 to 35 barbecue teams will compete in the main championship, where they will be vying for winnings. The top 10 overall winners, along with the top five winners in each category, will bring home prize money.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
