FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

CAMPSITES FOR TEAMS WITH RVs

How does my team reserve an RV campsite?

The form to reserve a campsite will be part of the online registration form. You can either choose to fill out the registration form online, or you can print the form and mail it in to this address:

Golden Circle Special Needs Association

PO Box 1290

Fairfield, TX 75840

If you plan to mail the forms in, please email bigtmemorialcookoff@gmail.com to make sure we are watching for it. We will also reply to this email when we receive your form.

How much are the RV campsites?

Available Hook-ups on site:

• RV spots with 30 amp hookups: $30 per hookup
• RV spots with 50 amp hookups: $50 per hookup
• Those with self-contained RVs not requiring a hookup: Free to park, space will be determined by size of RV and available space on the grounds.

What if we’d like to park our RV at a campsite but cook in a pavilion? Is that possible?

YES! If you’d like to park your RV at a campsite and only cook under a pavilion, you may do so. They are open air booths, and some have water and electricity. We WILL NOT be able to park any RVs at the spots with pavilions. There will be space to park BBQ pits only. There will be a spot on the registration form for those wanting a pavilion.They will be available on a first come, first serve basis. If you decide after you send in your registration that you’d like to reserve one, but didn’t include that on your form, please email us at bigtmemorialcookoff@gmail.com to ask if there are any still available.

My buddies from another cook team are coming in to cook too, and we’d like both teams to be camped together. Will the RV campsites be assigned or will we be able to choose?

We will do our best to accommodate all requests, but please realize that we are working with very limited space for hookups. When the hookups were installed at the WL Moody Fairgrounds, RVs/campers were much smaller. Today’s RVs and campers are much larger, so it takes a lot of Tetris-like work to get everyone parked. Please have some patience with us as we will do our best to please everyone. The quicker you get signed up and paid for, the quicker you are put on a list for a spot, and the more likely you are to get the spot you would like.

Those with self-contained RVs, you will have more freedom to move around the grounds, and your space may be able to accommodate larger units. We will help you pick the right spot for you at check-in. If you plan to be self-contained, we will not park you at a site where there is a hook-up to allow for maximum usage of the hookups.

When can we move in?

We will open the move-in times starting on Thursday evening, and move-in will last until before the Cook’s Meeting on Friday evening. A more specific time frame will be announced before the week of the cook-off.

If you have been assigned a paid RV spot, we will give you a specific time to move in so that we can park the RVs with as little congestion as possible. If your assigned time doesn’t work for you, you can try to make other arrangements (we will do our best to accomodate you) by emailing us directly at bigtmemorialcookoff@gmail.com.

I was told move-in could start on Thursday afternoon, but when I showed up, there were already campers parked in a spot that I wanted to claim. Why is that?

We provide our Golden Circle board members and Big T Memorial Cook-Off sponsors with RV spaces in return for their service and/or sponsorship. They will always get first pick of spaces, and they are invited to move in early to ease the congestion. Those spaces will be marked as “claimed” before everyone else is allowed to purchase spots. If you see there are campers parked before everyone else, this is why.

CAMPSITES FOR TEAMS WITHOUT RVs

My team doesn’t have an RV, but we’d still like to reserve a spot. Is that possible?

There are many pavilions/booths available at the WL Moody Fairgrounds. These will be available free of charge for those wishing to cook with no RV. They are open air booths, and some have water and electricity. We WILL NOT be able to park any RVs at the spots with pavilions. There will be space to park BBQ pits only. There will be a spot on the registration form for those wanting a pavilion.They will be available on a first come, first serve basis. If you decide after you send in your registration that you’d like to reserve one, but didn’t include that on your form, please email us at bigtmemorialcookoff@gmail.com to ask if there are any still available.

BBQ TEAM QUESTIONS

How many people can be on our team?

Technically, we only recognize a head cook and two team members as a team, so three people total. Any extras in your party can still *identify* as team members and participate, but only 3 will be recognized officially on forms, awards, etc.

How many teams can use the same pit?

Per Lone Star Barbecue Society Sanctioning Rules, found here, 2 Head Cooks may share a pit, but there may only be one entry per team, per pit. In other words, one head cook cannot turn in 2 separate entries from the same pit.

EXTRAS

What is there for kids to do on-site during the weekend of the cookoff?

There is a large, fenced kids’ park, the Lions Club Park, on-site at the WL Moody Fairgrounds. There is also a walking trail with a duck pond on-site. The Kids Cook-Off Challenge will also take place on Saturday, and any child between the ages of 6-17 can compete. The registration form is available for print here registration forms page. We will also host a Touch-A-Truck event on-site as well on Saturday that will be fun for kids of all ages. Stay tuned to our website and our Facebook page for more details on events we will be hosting over the weekend.

What is there for my family to do around town while I am competing in the cook-off?

Check out the Fairfield Chamber of commerce website and the City of Fairfield website for more details about fun things to do around town while you’re here.

The Fairfield Chamber of Commerce is hosting the annual Show of Wheels Car Show and the City-Wide Garage Sale during the same weekend as the Big T Memorial Cook-Off again this year. It will be a fun weekend in Fairfield for the whole family!

What about the weather?

Well, y’all, early September in Texas is usually HOT!! Please be prepared for the heat. There will be plenty of water on site, and there is a lot of shade at the WL Moody fairgrounds. Please also keep in mind that we are a “rain or shine” event. We will cook no matter what. All extra events may be subject to change, but the cooking will go on rain or shine.

What about parking?

There is plenty of parking available around the WL Moody Fairgrounds. We do not have paid parking or restricted areas because we believe we are all adults and we should be able to use some common sense when parking. We ask that only 1-2 vehicles park close to your RV site so that we can keep the lanes open around the RVs. We have board members and volunteers with side-by-sides and/or vehicles that have to get through there to pick up trash and whatever other official business we need to tend to, not to mention the possibility of emergency services. Please leave driving lanes open.

Please also be courteous to others and don’t be a jerk when parking. Do not block in other vehicles. Marked handicapped spaces are reserved for those with actual plates or placards. We don’t want to mess with having your vehicle towed, but we will have no qualms about doing so when and if it becomes necessary.

Can we bring in coolers, food, and/or drinks?

Please feel free to bring whatever you can haul! Load up your little red wagon and bring your chairs too! We do ask that you do not bring any glass containers, and that all trash is properly disposed of in the receptacles all around the park. .