DOVER-FOXCROFT – Succulent scents and bluegrass music filled the air over the Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds on Saturday during the second annual Maine State Championship Barbecue Contest.

Participation was good at Saturday’s event, but heavy rains caused the cancellation of some of Sunday’s festivities, according to Dennis Lyford, executive director of the Southern Piscataquis County Chamber of Commerce, the sponsor of the barbecue contest.

The barbecue contest, sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society and the New England Barbecue Society, drew 14 teams from throughout New England.

Entries in the pork, chicken, pork ribs, beef brisket and open categories were scored for appearance, tenderness-texture, and taste.

Winners from first to fifth place were:

. Chicken The Mesquitos, Bowdoin, Maine.; Smokin Dog, Hinesburg, Vt.; The Yahoos, Beverly, Mass; The Bastey Boys, Templeton, Mass.; Smokin Mainiacs, New Vineyard.

. Pork: Dr. Frank N’Swine, Orleans, Mass.: Poke In Da Eye, Seabrook, N.H.; The Bastey Boys; The Mesquitos; and I Smell Smoke, Fitzwilliam, N.H.

. Pork ribs: The Bastey Boys; Smokin Mainiacs; The Mesquitos; I Smell Smoke, and The Yahoos.

. Beef brisket: Poke In Da Eye; Petey’s Crispy Critters, Acton, Mass.; Smokin Mainiacs; Dr. Frank N’ Swine, and I Smell Smoke.

. Overall champions: (using the Kansas City Barbecue Society’s scores): The Bastey Boys, Smokin Mainiacs, I Smell Smoke, Poke In Da Eye, and Dr. Frank ‘N’ Swine.

. Chief’s choice: The Bastey Boys, The Mesquitos, Dr. Frank N’ Swine, Smoking Mainiacs, Rib Ticklers of Newburyport, Mass.

. BBQ Sauce: Smokin Dog BBQ, Hinesburg, Vt.; The Flaming Hogs, Corinna; Bear Mountain Smokers, Monson; I Smell Smoke, The Yahoos, and Dr. Frank N’ Swine.

. Chili-open: Smokin Dog BBQ, Bear Mountain Smokers, Dr. Frank N’ Swine, Smokin Mainiacs, and Fly Farms of St. Albans.

. Grilling: Dr. Frank N’ Swine; Smokin Dog BBQ; Bear Mountain Smokers; Smoking Mainiacs, and The Flaming Hogs.

. Maine Team: Smokin Mainiacs; The Mesquitos; Bear Mountain Smokers, and The Flaming Hogs.

Diana Bowley is a Bangor Daily News writer who covers Piscataquis County. She can be reached at dianabdn@downeast.net.