The smell of hickory smoke drifts through the air as teams line Choctaw Avenue, their aprons dusted with spice rubs and smiles as wide as the grills they tend. It is Ribtoberfest, McAlester’s fall tradition that feels less like a competition and more like a block party where everyone belongs.

What started as a simple idea from the crew at Grillmarks has become one of the city’s favorite gatherings. One organizer explained, “We had hosted one or two successful ribeye competitions. Then we thought, what if we added another meat competition so that we could do two of them a year? Ribs seemed like an obvious second event.”

Now, Ribtoberfest has grown into a community celebration that fills downtown with laughter, music, and the irresistible smell of barbecue. It is one of two flagship Grillmarks events each year, with ribeye season in the spring and ribs in the fall.

Every year, the team adds a creative twist. This year’s theme, “Pigs All the Way Down,” came from their love of local food and a touch of humor.

“We always try to find a locally sourced ingredient for our side competition, the Best Bite,” the organizers said. “This year we chose pork loin, and because it is pork ribs and pork loin, we went with the theme. It is a bit of a nod to Sturgill Simpson’s song ‘Turtles All the Way Down.’”

The event brings out both seasoned grill masters and friendly first-timers. Some teams practice for weeks, even holding internal cook-offs to find the winning recipe they will bring to the big day.

“They get some team building, bring a ton of people, have a lot of fun, and they usually do pretty well,” one organizer shared.

The Best Bite competition is a crowd favorite. While the rib contest is judged blindly, Best Bite lets cooks show off their creativity in person. “The contestants bring five servings into a judging room and present them to the judges,” said one organizer. “Judges look for creativity, taste, and appearance.”

From smoky ribs to sweet surprises, the dishes are full of imagination. “One year, the winner made a cream cheese cupcake,” they recalled. “It stood out in a field of mostly savory dishes.”

But the real heart of Ribtoberfest is not the trophies. It is the people.

“Because it is free to the public, we have a ton of people come out for the tasting,” an organizer said. “There is probably between 500 and 1,000 people wandering the event area, tasting food from 20 to 30 competitors.”

Families stroll the blocked-off streets while kids dart between booths, clutching rib samples and chasing laughter. “Every Grillmarks event is super family friendly,” they said. “It is about the best case scenario for a kid in a local downtown.”

Local businesses make it all possible. Many sponsor, volunteer, or even compete themselves. “The event would not happen without them,” said an organizer. “They are the same businesses that support all kinds of things in our community.”

It takes dozens of volunteers to make it look easy. “It is every six months, so it comes about quickly,” the team said. “We have a group of organizers who work together to pull it off every time, and we are all pretty tired at the end of it.”