If you love the smell of smoky barbecue, the sound of live music, and the feeling of community coming together for a great cause, then you’ll want to mark your calendar. Smoke on the Seaway is firing up at the Cornwall Civic Complex on May 9 &10, and it’s so much more than just a BBQ competition. This two-day event brings together talented pitmasters, families, food lovers, dedicated bikers, and local vendors—all in support of Maison Baldwin House. Whether you’re a BBQ enthusiast or just looking for something fun and different to do, this is one event you won’t want to miss.
Recently I caught up with Danielle McCormick of Maison Baldwin House and we chatted about this event. Here is the Seeker Style 5 question interview to help get to know more about what to expect – enjoy!
1. For someone who has never heard of Smoke on the Seaway, can you tell us exactly what this event is and what can people expect when they arrive?
Attendees will experience a Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned BBQ competition, the first ever of its kind in Cornwall! BBQ aficionados will have an opportunity to see how professional BBQ teams from across Canada do their thing! We will also have a kid’s BBQ showdown where youth 10-16 will be cooking up their creative take on meatballs, and a mouthwatering mobile food court packed with incredible food trucks from near and far! They can browse the vendor market, check out the Show & Shine motorcycle showcase featuring nearly 200 bikes, and test your taste buds at the hot sauce tasting competition! In the afternoon, visitors can watch the live People’s Choice judging, where 24 local individuals will judge the Kid’s ‘Cue Meatballs, as well as competition chicken wings from some of the KCBS teams! It’s a fun interactive portion of the day. It’s all in support of Maison Baldwin House, so not only will you get to attend a great event, you’ll be supporting at risk women and children in your community.
2. When and where is everything happening, and is this something people can drop in and enjoy for a few hours, or should they plan to spend the whole day (or weekend)?
We certainly invite people to spend the day with us, but you can absolutely just pop in for lunch or dinner at the mobile food court, or test your tastebuds at the hot sauce table! We certainly encourage people to stay in Cornwall for the weekend – on Sunday, May 10th, you can attend the KCBS awards ceremony to see who had the top choice chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket! If people choose to stay overnight, the Cornwall Best Western Parkway Inn will have special rates for those attending Smoke on the Seaway.
3. This isn’t just any BBQ—it’s a Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned competition. What does that mean, and why is it exciting for our community and can local BBquers join as competitors?
KCBS is one of the most respected name in BBQ. Their sanctioning of this event means Cornwall is on their map! Professional competitors from Canada and the USA travel to compete in order to earn points throughout the year. Our event is also considered a Jack Daniels Invitational Qualifier, which means the winner in Cornwall will receive a bung towards to step of competing in that Tennessee competition! It’s a huge deal in the BBQ world. That said, you don’t have to be a professional – amateur BBQ enthusiasts are encouraged to join the competition for the experience and to see where they rank overall in each category.
4. Beyond the competition, what kinds of activities will be happening for visitors — especially families —throughout the weekend?
The Show and Shine Motorcycle show from For Bikers, By Bikers will be an exciting draw for all! This group has been very supporting of the shelter over the past years, and they’re looking forward to welcoming the community and showing off their rides! They also have some amazing prizes to be won! We have a great selection of Food Trucks to please any palette! The Hot Sauce Challenge is always a fun way to spice up your day! And the People’s Choice judging, from 1-3PM will be a fun event to watch!
5. The event supports Maison Baldwin House. Can you share how attending or participating helps make a real difference locally?
Proceeds from this event will be supporting our Anti-Human Trafficking work, including our upcoming plans to open a 5 bed residential program for survivors of Human Trafficking. By attending, supporting the vendors, the food trucks, the different fundraising activities, you’ll be keeping women and girls in our community safer. The event falls on Mother’s Day Weekend as well, so take the mom/mom figure in your life out for a fun day, and you can also feel good knowing that you’re helping to protect women from violence and abuse.
If you’re curious to learn more, you can reach out directly to Mat Drouin at [email protected] for competition details, or connect with Debbie Fortier at [email protected] and Danielle McCormick at [email protected]
Come out, bring your appetite, and be part of something truly special—all while supporting an incredible local cause.
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