10/20/2026
Another Smokeshow in the books & another ridiculously long, sappy post! After a few days to recover & reflect, the Sandhills Smokeshow - 2nd Annual Competition Barbecue was more than Cole and I could’ve dreamed of.
It wouldn’t be a Burdette’s event without a frosty start and 30+ mph wind gusts, but this sweet little community of ours showed up BIG. You bundled up, brought your appetites, and spent your Saturday supporting something we’ve poured so much of ourselves into. None of it would have been possible without the unwavering support of our friends, family, barbecue competitors & judges, community, and fellow business owners.
🔥 To our barbecue competitors — thank you for the preparation, the long hours, and the care you put into every piece of meat. Thank you for being as excited as we were about getting creative with local, ground Bison. Whether this was your first Smokeshow or your second, we’re so grateful you chose to spend the day cooking with us! You give this event its flavor, its friendly competition, and so much of its heart.
🥩 To our barbecue judges — thank you for your time, your knowledge, and thoughtful critique in every bite.
🫶🏼 To our sponsors and fellow business owners — thank you for saying yes, pitching in & helping us bring this day together. We know how much goes into running your own business, and how far a dollar has to stretch, which makes your generosity even more meaningful. Your donations allowed us to cover the cost of meat & make this event welcoming for ALL skill levels.
🔪 To our friends Ryan & Kimberly at Spaceman Knives — thank you for generously donating a beautiful hand-crafted knife for our Grand Champion prize & engraving a GORGEOUS 2nd knife to be raffled off for the Ord Pollinator Garden Project.
🌭 To our hotdog competitors — thank you for making questionable decisions in the name of hometown glory, whether you entered by choice or let us bully you into it! 😂 Your willingness to put away hotdogs in front of a crowd deserves its own thank you (shout out to our BACK TO BACK CHAMP Dylon Smedra and our youngest competitor, Brody Gumb, at 14 years old)!
🍻 To Mike, Julie & the crew at Scratchtown Brewing Company — thank you for setting up, brewing a special collaboration b**r, and being an integral part of what makes the Smokeshow so fun (and helps keep us warm😉).
🎨 To the Ord Public Schools FCCLA Chapter members, Tenley and Macyn — thank you for setting up a face painting station for all the kiddos, you made so many littles SO happy!
✨A SPECIAL THANKS TO✨
*My angel of a friend, Katie Walmsley of Penny Hill Creative for capturing the day 📸 and singing the national anthem to kick off our hotdog eating competition the right way.
*Brant Bechtold, thank you for being my right hand man all day & setting up your sound system for us!
*Tammy & Benjamin Gotschall, our partners over at Clover Cove Ranch, for raising local bison, which gave us a fun & unique twist on this year's competition!
*Speed's Apple Market for the mountain of pumpkins that are now beautiful works of art!
*Valley County Fairgrounds for the perimeter panels and fencing.
*Melanie Boden at Jubilee Events & Catering for the most delicious sides!
*Zoë Marie's Bakery & Coffee for bringing her iconic chocolate chip cookies! 😋
*Ink Alley Screen Printing & Embroidery's John Johnson, for the coolest shirts (we still have some left in XL, 2X & 3X if anyone wants to rep a SWEET design) and literally driving out here to spend the day with us & hand-deliver new sweatshirts.
🖤 To our friends & family that drove hundreds of miles to be here for us, everyone who lent a hand, and anyone I'm forgetting — thank you for all the work people saw & all the work that went on behind the scenes. The setup, the cleanup, the last-minute help, and the “what do you need?” yelled in passing. We’re lucky to have people who show up for us the way you do. We quite literally couldn’t have done it without you.
To everyone who came out, bought a plate, cheered on a competitor, shared our posts, bought a raffle ticket to support a great local cause, or told a friend — thank you for being part of this and making the Smokeshow so successful.
Watching people gather over good food, catch up with neighbors, and cheer each other on is exactly why we wanted to do this in the first place. Getting to see it happen for a second year is something we’ll carry with us for a long time.
Thank you for loving on us and supporting Burdette’s the way you do. We sure love this community we get to call home. Our hearts are so full. 🧡💜
—Shelby & Cole
