Qualifying Events — World Food Championships
Qualifying Events
The Road to the World Food Championships

Qualifying Events.

Earn Your Golden Ticket - 2026 Season Schedule
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Find a Golden Ticket Qualifier Near You

Every World Champion starts somewhere. Search official WFC qualifying events across the U.S. and internationally to find your chance to compete for food, fame, and fortune in Indianapolis.

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76 events showing
Date Event Categories Location Type
January 112026 FYAHOUSE Flavor Showdown! SandwichBaconDessertVegetarianLive FireNoodle Online Preferred
January 162026 The Atlanta BBQ Store Classic BBQ Atlanta, GA Preferred
January 172026 14th Annual Tailgate Chef's Challenge Sandwich Orange Beach, AL Preferred
January 272026 Taste of Elegance BaconChef Indianapolis, IN Preferred
February 212026 Top Tastes of Washington State BurgerVegetarianNoodle Ocean Shores, WA Preferred
February 242026 Bolner's Fiesta Products and World Food Championships Recipe Challenge BBQBurgerSandwichBaconDessertChefSeafoodVegetarianLive FireNoodle Online Preferred
February 272026 Joint Culinary Training Exercise Vegetarian Fort Gregg-Adams, VA Preferred
March 12026 Baconfest MKE Bacon Milwaukee, WI Preferred
March 12026 Sunday Dinner at The Duce Chef Phoenix, AZ Preferred
March 72026 Greater Indy ACF Gala Annual Bite Challenge VegetarianLive FireNoodle Indianapolis, IN Preferred
March 72026 Rotary Club of Azle Steak Cookoff Live Fire Lakeside, TX Preferred
March 92026 OCHMRA Trade Expo Seafood Ocean City, MD Preferred
March 122026 SCA World Championships - Ancillary World Championship SandwichBaconDessertVegetarianLive FireNoodle Fort Worth, TX Preferred
March 122026 SCA World Championships - Steak World Championship Live Fire Fort Worth, TX Preferred
March 132026 Gulf Coast Beer and Bacon Festival BBQBacon Long Beach, MS Preferred
March 202026 Smoke on the Shores BBQDessert Nashville, TN Preferred
March 212026 BBQ Fest Panama 2026 BBQBurger Panama City, Panama International
April 42026 Greater Indy ACF April Fools Mystery Basket Challenge DessertChef Indianapolis, IN Preferred
April 42026 Porkmania 2026 Live Fire Franklin, WI Preferred
April 92026 Korea Burger Championship 2026 Burger Seoul, Korea International
April 182026 Famous Dave's All-Star BBQ Series - Indianapolis BBQ Indianapolis, IN Preferred
April 212026 Taste of America: Presented by Sam's Club SandwichVegetarianNoodle Online Preferred
April 252026 Arkansas Pie Festival Dessert Cherokee Village, AR Preferred
April 252026 BBQ Battle & Block Party - Houston BBQ Houston, TX Preferred
April 252026 Famous Dave's All-Star BBQ Series - Rancho Cucamonga BBQ Rancho Cucamonga, CA Preferred
April 252026 Lancaster BBQ Supply Spring Steak Cookoff Live Fire Lancaster, PA Preferred
April 262026 Dallas College Bits & Bites Chef Dallas, TX Preferred
May 22026 Roanoke Roundup Live Fire Roanoke, TX Preferred
May 32026 Miracle League Burger Competition - Little Rock Burger Little Rock, AR Preferred
May 82026 Get Wild with Wild Rice Recipe Contest Bacon Online Preferred
May 92026 Hometown Showdown BBQ Yakima, WA Preferred
May 142026 Memphis in May - Ancillaries BBQ Memphis, TN Preferred
May 142026 Memphis in May Flava Faceoff SandwichBaconChef Memphis, TN Preferred
May 142026 Nashville Lifestyles Battle of the Burger 2026 Burger Nashville, TN Preferred
May 162026 Famous Dave's All-Star BBQ Series - Union Gap BBQ Union Gap, WA Preferred
May 162026 Top Tastes of Washington State DessertChef Ocean Shores, WA Preferred
May 172026 Flavor Forays Championship BBQ Chef Chicago, IL Preferred
May 222026 Grate Sauces & Rubs Bring the Heat Sizzler Steak Cookoff Live Fire Goldsboro, NC Preferred
May 232026 Best of Bill-E's Bacon Bacon Fairhope, AL Preferred
May 242026 Japan BBQ Championship 2026 BBQ Chiba, Japan Preferred
May 302026 Famous Dave's All-Star BBQ Series - Las Vegas BBQ Las Vegas, NV Preferred
June 62026 Famous Dave's All-Star BBQ Series - El Paso BBQ El Paso, TX Preferred
June 62026 Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Fest VegetarianLive FireNoodle Crown Point, IN Preferred
June 62026 Spa City Steak Showdown Live Fire Hot Springs, AR Preferred
June 72026 Sunday Dinner at Carcara Seafood Phoenix, AZ Preferred
June 122026 Japan Burger Championship 2026 Burger Yokohama, Japan International
June 122026 Zoobilation Chef Indianapolis, IN Preferred
June 132026 Beer, Bacon & Beyond Volunteer & Sponsor Appreciation Burger Gulfport, MS Preferred
June 132026 Car-B-Que Steak Cookoff Live Fire Folkston, GA Preferred
June 132026 Famous Dave's All-Star BBQ Series - Modesto BBQ Modesto, CA Preferred
June 132026 Miller Lite BBQ Grilling Wars Festival BBQ San Juan, Puerto Rico International
June 142026 WFC Burger France Burger Chateauneuf-de-Gadagne, France International
June 202026 Famous Dave's All-Star BBQ Series - Colorado Springs BBQ Colorado Springs, CO Preferred
June 232026 Taste of Croix Valley Online Recipe Challenge VegetarianLive FireNoodle Online Preferred
June 262026 BBQ and Brew VT Sandwich Rutland, VT Preferred
June 272026 BBQ Battle & Block Party - Austin BBQ Austin, TX Preferred
June 272026 Famous Dave's All-Star BBQ Series - Hermitage BBQ Hermitage, TN Preferred
June 272026 Frontier Days Steak Cookoff Live Fire Lynchburg, TN Preferred
June 282026 Meat Cake Invitational ChefLive Fire Indianapolis, IN Preferred
June 302026 ACF National Convention 2026 BaconDessertChefNoodle Grand Rapids, MI Preferred
Summer 20262026 Epicure The Event BaconChefSeafoodLive Fire St. Louis, MO Preferred
Summer 20262026 Top Tastes of Washington State BBQ Ocean Shores, WA Preferred
Summer 20262026 World Food Championships MENA BurgerSandwichDessertSeafoodVegetarianLive FireNoodle Dubai, UAE International
July 42026 River City Steak Challenge 10th Anniversary Live Fire Mason City, IA Preferred
July 112026 Magic City Grill Fest Burger Colon, MI Preferred
July 182026 Kirkland Uncorked BBQ Kirkland, WA Preferred
July 252026 Nachos Showdown at the Holy Cross Wine and Cheese Festival Sandwich Indianapolis, IN Preferred
August 12026 Vegetarian Taco Challenge - Presented by Cooking Contest Central Vegetarian Online Preferred
August 152026 Big Beef Showdown BurgerBaconDessertLive Fire Lebanon, TN Preferred
August 222026 Coastal Alabama Tailgate Cook-Off Challenge Bacon Orange Beach, AL Preferred
September 132026 Maryland Seafood Festival Seafood Annapolis, MD Preferred
September 192026 Top Tastes of Washington State Live Fire Ocean Shores, WA Preferred
September 202026 Perfect Bite Championships DessertVegetarianNoodle Indianapolis, IN Preferred
September 252026 Texas Food Championship BBQBurgerSandwichBaconDessertChefSeafoodVegetarianLive FireNoodle Corpus Christi, TX Preferred
Fall 20262026 Miracle League Burger Competition - NWA Burger Springdale, AR Preferred
October 242026 Premier Chef NWA Chef Rogers, AR Preferred

Don't see an event near you? Stay tuned — new qualifying events are added regularly throughout the year. Contact us if you're interested in hosting an event.