VALDOSTA, Ga. — The smell of smoke and slow-cooked barbecue filled downtown Valdosta as cooks, families and neighbors gathered for one of the community’s longstanding summer traditions.

The annual BBQ Cookoff, hosted by 100 Black Men of Valdosta, transformed the area around Courthouse Square into a celebration of food and fellowship. Competitors fired up their grills and smokers, serving barbecue while vying for recognition in the cookoff.

But organizers say the gathering is about more than what comes off the grill.

For 100 Black Men of Valdosta, the event is part of a broader commitment to strengthening the community. The organization focuses on mentorship, education and creating opportunities for young people — work that continues throughout the year.

The cookoff offers a more informal way to bring that mission into public view. Residents can share a meal, reconnect with neighbors and learn more about the people behind the organization.

That sense of connection has helped make the barbecue competition a recurring part of summer in Valdosta. Generations of residents have attended the event, and each year brings another group of cooks ready to test their recipes and another crowd ready to taste them.

In a downtown filled with smoke, conversation and the sounds of a community gathering, the cookoff served as a reminder that sometimes civic connection can begin with something simple: good food and a place to share it.