Music and Barbecue: Tanglefoot festival brings big fun to Temple
By BOBBIE JO YOUNG | Photos by BECKY STINEHOUR
Downtown Temple came alive with the sound of live music and the smell of freshly made barbecue during the Tanglefoot Music & BBQ Festival. With more than 7,500 attendees, 20+ country and Americana acts, and 16 elite pitmasters packed onto the MLK Festival Grounds on Sept. 12-13, the inaugural event left its mark as the biggest community celebration the city has hosted in years — possibly ever.
Parker McCollum headlined the first night with a powerhouse performance on the main stage, sponsored by KPA Engineers. McCollum energized the crowd with fan favorites and material from his latest studio album. Saturday’s headline slot went to Cody Jinks, whose raw outlaw country style brought thousands of fans to their feet.
Other standout acts included Texas legends Robert Earl Keen and the Randy Rogers Band, along with ’90s country staple Mark Chesnutt, troubadour Jack Ingram and rising star Corey Kent. Americana-infused voices like The Wilder Blue and Silverada kept the festival stages buzzing throughout both days.
Rounding out the lineup were regional and up-and-coming artists including Shelby Stone, Kin Faux, Bottomland, Cole Whittlesey, Mac Hankins and the Moonlighters, Jackson Wendell, Cole Phillips, Austin Gilliam, Mitchell Ferguson, Matt Caldwell and David Adam Byrnes. With two stages running nearly nonstop, festival-goers never had a quiet moment.
“I used to take my kids to these kinds of events in San Marcos. This being the first one of its kind here, no one likes to be the guinea pig, but it means a lot,” said Randy Rogers, who performed with his longtime band at the event. “My band and I have been together for 25 years, same five guys, and it means a lot to play these kinds of hometown festivals here in Texas.”
While the music drew the big crowds, the barbecue kept them coming back for seconds. Attendees sampled plates from 16 pitmasters and barbecue joints representing Texas, Kansas City, Memphis, Carolina, and beyond.
The Texas talent included Miller’s Smokehouse, Schoepf’s BBQ, Panther City BBQ, Bar-A-BBQ, Rossler’s Blue Cord Barbecue, Brick Vault Brewery & BBQ, Hill City Chop House, The Original Roy Hutchins Barbecue, Victorian’s Barbecue, and Olmos BBQ. Out-of-state participants like Edge Craft Barbecue (Oklahoma), Fork Grove Barbecue (South Carolina), Meat Mitch (Kansas), Owens & Hull (Georgia), and Southern Smoke BBQ (North Carolina) added their own regional flair.
Beyond the barbecue, the Mercantile Market featured food stalls, local crafts, cooking demos and hospitality activations from area businesses, making the festival feel as much like a cultural fair as a concert.
The name “Tanglefoot” paid homage to Temple’s early days as a railroad camp, where muddy streets and an abundance of saloons made walking difficult and often resulted in unsteady, drunken stumbles. The MLK Festival Grounds, transformed into a green and walkable space, provided the perfect backdrop for the city’s newest tradition.
“It was awesome, great staff and volunteers, amazing vendors … the hospitality from the local sponsors was the coolest thing ever,” festival-goer Brian Garrison said. “Very cool and looking forward to next year!”
The two-day event stretched into hours of dancing, singing and barbecue-fueled camaraderie. Families, longtime fans, and newcomers alike filled the grounds, enjoying not just the music and food, but the sense of belonging that comes when a city embraces its cultural heritage.
For Temple, the first Tanglefoot Music & BBQ Festival was more than a debut — it was a statement. By blending world-class barbecue with top-tier Texas country music, the city proved it can host a major event while keeping hospitality and community at the heart of it all.
“We got great feedback and made note of things to change for next year. The credit really goes overall to the collaboration of different city departments,” said Cheslea Butler, special events coordinator for the City of Temple.
There is already excitement for 2026, and if the energy of this first year is any indication, Tanglefoot may quickly grow into one of Central Texas’s most beloved traditions.
