Lockhart Smokehouse pitmaster Damien Avila slices brisket at the Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival. (Photo by Phil Lamb)

Several Posse members headed over to Tyler on Saturday for the first annual Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival. Fifteen of the best barbecue restaurants in the state were represented, along with great Texas music all afternoon and evening. The event was held on Tyler's historic downtown square.

Click here to see a list of the 15 All-Star BBQ joints that served attendees of the festival. Judging from what we saw, it was a huge success.

Though the event was sold out, the crowds were treated to a spacious layout of BBQ restaurants, vendors and a large music stage on the square. We never waited in line more than one or two minutes to get the samples, some of which were almost a meal in themselves. I didn't have a bad bite of meat all day. The beer was ice cold and the weather was beautiful as well.

Given the apparent success of year one, we're hoping the Red Dirt BBQ Festival is here to stay. Along with Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ Fest, this can quickly become one of the premier yearly events in Texas barbecue.

Samples await festival goers at Louie Mueller Barbecue's tent. (Photo by Phil Lamb)

 

Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew pitmaster Lance Kirkpatrick unloads his smoker. (Photo by Chris Wilkins)

 

Sample tray of brisket, sausage & burnt ends from La Barbecue. (Photo by Phil Lamb)

 

Louie Mueller Barbecue owner & pitmaster Wayne Mueller preps sample trays. (Photo by Chris Wilkins)

 

Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew pitmaster Lance Kirkpatrick shows a beef rib hot off the pit. (Photo by Chris Wilkins)

 

Slow Bone BBQ owner & pitmaster Jack Perkins slices brisket. (Photo by Chris Wilkins)

 

Sliced brisket from Lockhart Smokehouse. (Photo by Phil Lamb)

 

Festival goers try samples at La Barbecue's tent, set up on the brick streets of Tyler's square. (Photo by Jim Rossman)