The sixth annual Marlboro County Country Cookoff will be June 18 in Blenheim.
BLENHEIM– Forty grill masters from Marlboro County, South Carolina and across the United States will return to Blenheim on June 18 for the sixth annual Marlboro County Country Cookoff.
Gates will open at noon on the grounds of We Get It Together Caterers, 3591 Hwy 38 in Blenheim, with the competition starting at 2 p.m.
Arthur Fennell, a Bennettsville native and nationally known journalist, created the Marlboro County Country Cookoff.
The cost to attend the cookoff is $20, which will allow attendees to eat all of the wings, brisket, and barbecue.
Proceeds from the event will go to the scholarship fund.
Fennell said 10 scholarships will be given to local students.
“When we started, we could only award two scholarships,” he said. He said there will be 40 grill masters from as far away as Arizona, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, and West Virginia, and as close as South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.
Organizers said they had to limit the grill masters to 40 after having so many wanting to participate.
Fennell added all of the local favorites will be there along with more than 20 vendors.
A special presentation will be held during the cookoff for the winners and scholarship recipients.
Fennell said he estimates 4,000-5,000 people will attend this year.
He gave an example of a man who is coming from South Africa to attend the cookoff to come to Marlboro County and meet the people.
Those attending must take precautions with hand sanitizers and masks.
“The space is large enough,” he said. “Just use common sense and good safety precautions.”
He felt this was due to his YouTube series, Country Style with Art Fennell, which focuses on country-style living in Bennettsville and Marlboro County.
He felt like everyone in the county is a host of the event since the county will be spotlighted.
“Let’s have a good time and let’s all be good hosts together,” Fennell said. “This is our opportunity to let Bennettsville, Blenheim and Marlboro County shine.”
Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.com. In the search tab, put Country Style Cookoff. Tickets can also be purchased at the event on June 18.