New to Gardner in 2017 will be the Smoke on the Trails BBQ Competition.  This Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned event will take place on September 29 and 30, 2017 at Celebration Park.  This is a qualifying event for the American Royal World Series of Barbeque competition and the Jack Daniels World Championship for 2018.  BBQ teams will check in Friday during the day and begin to set up their camps.  Friday evening the general public is welcome to come out and hang with their friends and families for the evening from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.  Live bands will be on site to keep the party moving and a kid zone will be provided for the youngsters.  A Beer Garden will be provided for the adults to enjoy responsibly Friday evening as well.  Formal BBQ judging will begin on Saturday and a total purse of $10,000 will be on the line for teams participating in the categories of chicken, ribs, pork and brisket.  Top 10 in each category will be awarded as well as Grand Champion, Reserved Grand Champion and 3rd Place.