A growing list of chefs, barbecue savants and pitmasters will compete while live music plays. (Photo: Harris Suljic) June 30, 2026—Say it with me: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. But not like this. Maybe never. It’s unlikely if Monterey Bay has seen this much of both coming to one of its tiniest towns, with celebrity chef flex to boot. And this heat is coming in, well…hot, and right on time for peak barbecue season, and seemingly out of the blue.