by Ronda Payne/Special to the Langley Advance

The sights, sounds, and most importantly the smells of barbecue are coming back to Langley this weekend as the 32nd annual Canadian Festival of Chili and BBQ move temporarily to KPU鈥檚 parking lot on May 4 and 5.

With more than 30 barbecue teams signed up and other independent teams participating in chili and side events, visitors will have a lot to take in from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, said competitor and co-producer Dave McKay.

McKay has been enveloped in barbecue since 1994, when he was working in television and did a story on the event 鈥� which then was held in New Westminster.

He met the event鈥檚 founder, David Veljacic and his wife Pat 鈥� who believed in keeping team entry fees low and encouraging donations to the BC Professional Fire Fighters鈥� Burn Fund for The Young Burn Survivors Summer Camp.

It鈥檚 something McKay says is still important to the event.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the oldest and largest [BBQ competition] in Canada and the Pacific Northwest,鈥� he explained.

鈥淎 five dollar minimum donation [to get on site, goes] to the BC Fire Fighter鈥檚 Burn Fund. It costs in the neighbourhood of $5,000 a day to go to that camp. We have donated $50,000 to date for the fund, so we鈥檝e sent a lot of kids to camp.鈥�

The year after he met Veljacic 鈥� a captain with the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service 鈥� McKay started competing.

When the Veljacics passed away, others like McKay knew how important it was to continue their legacy. In fact, that鈥檚 why McKay takes on co-producing the event, which he describes as being like 鈥渓assoing water.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 in memory of the founder of the festival,鈥� he said.

鈥淗e was a competition barbecuer before it was cool and he started this. I was so impressed with the people and the smells and the taste that I started competing. They had the lowest entry fees of any [barbecue] contest and we鈥檝e kept it that way. We do it to support those young burn survivors.鈥�

They also have a lot of fun and challenge themselves as competitor Steve Waldron with the Fat Wally鈥檚 Firehouse BBQ team said.

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鈥淚鈥檝e been competing for nine years,鈥� Waldron said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to hang out with all these people. We see each other every summer. Even though you鈥檙e competing against each other, you鈥檙e really competing against yourselves.鈥�

Waldron鈥檚 team, which hails from Langley and 性视界传媒, will participate in all the main barbecue events on Sunday: ribs, chicken, brisket and pork. They will also participate in the Saturday chili events and the surprise meat.

鈥淎lthough it鈥檚 not a surprise, we know we鈥檙e getting bison ribs,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I like the Langley one. There鈥檚 so much going on. It鈥檚 one of our favourites.鈥�

Having worked in the airline industry, Waldron travelled a fair amount and experienced real southern barbecue, that鈥檚 what got him involved in competing.

鈥淭he food is excellent. It鈥檚 a great way to sample real barbecue,鈥� he noted. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to give food away and see people鈥檚 reactions to it, what they think. Anyone with an interest in barbecuing should attend for fun.鈥�

Another of the co-producers, Rob Rabby is a firefighter with the Langley City Fire Rescue. Langley City firefighters will greet visitors, collect donations, provide wristbands and a bowl of chili on Saturday or a pulled pork sandwich on Sunday.

There will be limited sampling of the teams鈥� creations 鈥� while supplies last and food trucks will be on site. Look for cooking demonstrations, vendors, and growler beer sales from KPU鈥檚 Brew Lab near the entrance.

The event will be back at Cascades Casino next year, when renovations are complete as McKay notes they are long-term event supporters.

This year, it鈥檚 at KPU鈥檚 lot L3 behind the Best Western hotel at the northeast corner of the campus. Parking in lot L2 will be free.