SELMA, Ala. (WSFA) – The smell of barbecue filled the air along Selma’s riverfront Saturday as families, food vendors and local businesses came together for an evening of food, music and friendly competition.
Smoke in the City returned to the Riverfront Amphitheater as part of the Live at Selma summer music series, combining a barbecue competition with blues, family activities and opportunities to support local vendors.
Collins Pedaway III, who has been part of the Live at Selma team since the series began, said events like Smoke in the City are designed to give residents something positive to enjoy in their own community.
“We hear so many negative things about there’s nothing to do in Selma or the things that people are doing is always something negative,” Pedaway said. “And so this is something positive, something that puts a smile on everybody’s face.”
For barbecue lovers, the event also offered a chance to do more than just eat.
During the People’s Choice voting period, participating barbecue vendors handed out free samples to attendees. Those who wanted to vote received a chip that could be placed in the container of their favorite competitor. The vendor collecting the most chips would be named the People’s Choice winner.
A separate panel of judges was also tasked with tasting and scoring entries in several categories, including chicken, ribs and sauce.
But Pedaway said one of the biggest changes he has noticed over the years is happening beyond the competition itself.
Some entrepreneurs who once showed up with little more than a table and tent have since expanded into food trucks, permanent locations and more consistent businesses.
“I have watched certain vendors who have been — they used to be out here with just a table and tent,” Pedaway said. “Now they’re out here in full food trucks. Now some of these vendors, they also have their own brick and mortars.”
Pedaway said that growth has happened alongside the growth of Live at Selma.
When the series began in 2023, he estimates events may have attracted only five or six food trucks. Now, organizers are working with roughly 12 to 13.
For Pedaway, that growth is an example of what can happen when residents support entrepreneurs and community events in Selma.
“I think that speaks to how Selma is growing, how the economy is growing,” Pedaway said.
He said the increasing number of vendors also shows more entrepreneurs believe there is a community willing to support what they are building.
Beyond the food, Smoke in the City included activities for children, a kids’ corner, giveaways and opportunities for civic engagement and voter registration.
Pedaway said the event represents a side of Selma that can sometimes be overshadowed by negative conversations about the city.
“There’s so much talent in Selma,” he said. “There’s so much growth here in Selma.”
For organizers, Smoke in the City is ultimately about creating a place where families can spend a summer evening together, local businesses can get exposure and the community can celebrate what Selma has to offer.
“We’re just grateful for the community, for the support that they give us every year when we put these on every summer,” Pedaway said.
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