BBQ vendors getting ready for the Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival in Downtown Tyler. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

If there’s anything Texas has the most pride in, it’s good ol’ barbecue. Throw in red dirt music and you got Tyler’s annual Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival.

“The music is what really draws us out,” said Amy Johnson, an attendee from Dallas. “We’re big fans of Casey Donahew, Randy Rogers Band and all the red dirt music scene … but the barbecue is really what puts the cherry on top.”

Thousands of festival goers enjoyed a variety of barbecue from pitmasters all across the state.

“Everybody has their favorite, but I like the off the beaten path kind of thing,” Johnson said. “I love the variety here. Personally, I think when it has a little zip and is smoky, not too sweet, it’s good barbecue to me.”

From traditional falling-off-the-bone smoked ribs to pork sandwiches, the pitmasters were plenty busy keeping festivalgoers fed Saturday afternoon.

“It’s really neat,” Matt Lowery, of LJ’s BBQ in Brenham, said of the festival. “It’s in the middle of town, right on the square … and the people are always super nice and we just really enjoy coming and doing it.”

Beef brisket, pork ribs, and sausage are among the most common in Texas barbecue but some vendors offered boudin balls and even cauliflower barbecue bites to add to the variety.

“It’s part of the culture,” said Radio Texas, LIVE! host Buddy Logan. “It’s part of who we are here in Texas and it’s something that people enjoy … there’s just something special about barbecue. And we’re always excited to have new and different.”

According to Logan, the number of participating barbecue joints fluctuates each year, as it depends on availability. The first year had around a dozen or so but the most they had was 35.

“They want to be a part of the festival because it is a pretty fun event for them to do too,” Logan said. “They don’t often get to see all their barbecue contemporaries, their friends and pitmasters from across Texas so this gives them a chance to come and hang out with people.”

What is the best secret for a good barbecue?

“Patience, patience, patience, patience!” Lowery said. “It’s doing everything the right way. Don’t take any shortcuts, and try your best to serve something good every day.”

Other barbecue joints from around the state include: Bar B Que Bandidas in Lubbock, BBQ And A Prayer in Canton, Brisket Love BBQ & Icehouse in Lindale, Casey’s BBQ in Athens, Chopp’d Beef Boys in Dallas, Crossbuck BBQ in Farmers Ranch, East TX Rust BBQ in Winnsboro, Ember’s Roadhouse BBQ in Edgewood, Harlem Road Texas BBQ in Richmond, Hill barbecue in Lubbock, JW’s barbecue in Jacksonville, Poke In Da Eye BBQ in Tyler, Poppy’s Q in Elgin, Reveille barbecue Co. in Magnolia, Smoak House No. 586 in Palestine, Smokey Joe’s BBQ in Dallas, Smoky B barbecue in Athens, Stanley’s Famous Pit BBQ in Tyler, Sunbird barbecue in Longview, Tyler’s barbecue in Amarillo and Zeke’s Craft BBQ in Huntsville.

“We have our music stars here, of course,” Logan said. “But here at the festival, the barbecue joints are stars too. They’re a very important part of the festival. We couldn’t do it without these people.”