The Real Squeal 2026: Great BBQ, Great Music & an Even Greater Community!

There's just something special about The Real Squeal! From the smell of barbecue filling the air to the sounds of live music and the familiar faces gathering together, this annual tradition is about so much more than great food. It's about community, hometown pride, and celebrating everything that makes Lyons, Georgia, such a wonderful place to call home.

On October 2–3, 2026, Lyons Main Street proudly welcomed residents and visitors for another exciting weekend of The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival!

Two Days of Hometown Fun

Friday's festivities brought the excitement to Downtown Lyons with delicious festival foods, arts and crafts vendors, the classic car cruise-in, and some friendly competition among our talented barbecue teams.

The evening continued with live entertainment, a community street dance, and a fireworks finale that brought a little extra excitement to downtown!

On Saturday, the fun moved to Partin Park, where families enjoyed shopping with vendors, live entertainment, the classic car show, an Indian artifacts exhibit, activities for children, and plenty of opportunities to make memories together.

Despite some unpredictable weather and adjustments to the weekend's activities, our community showed up and helped make the festival another success!

Celebrating Our BBQ Champions!

Of course, it wouldn't be The Real Squeal without some incredible barbecue!

This year's competition featured talented backyard cooking teams competing in chicken, ribs, and sauce categories.

Congratulations to our 2026 Grand Champion, Pork Around and Find Out, and Reserve Grand Champion, Big Slick BBQ!

We also congratulate our first-place category winners: Pork Around and Find Out in Chicken, Big Slick BBQ in Ribs, and Arnold Gregory in Sauce.

We appreciate every team that participated and helped keep this delicious tradition going strong!

More Than a Festival — It's a Community Effort

Behind every successful Real Squeal is an incredible group of people working together to make it happen.

Lyons Main Street extends its heartfelt appreciation to our sponsors, volunteers, vendors, local businesses, community organizations, and the many city and county departments and public safety agencies who helped bring this year's festival to life.

From the early planning stages to setup, event operations, and cleanup, countless individuals generously contributed their time, talents, and resources.

We are especially thankful for the continued support of the City of Lyons, our Lyons Main Street Board of Directors, and the community partners who believe in the importance of events that bring people together while supporting our local economy.

And to everyone who attended, shopped with our vendors, supported our local businesses, enjoyed the entertainment, or simply came out to spend time with family and friends — THANK YOU!

Your participation is what makes The Real Squeal such a beloved hometown tradition.

Until Next Year!

The Real Squeal is a celebration of the people, businesses, traditions, and Southern hospitality that make Lyons special.

As we reflect on another successful festival, we're reminded that the greatest part of The Real Squeal isn't just the barbecue, music, or entertainment — it's the community that comes together to make it all happen.

We're already looking forward to welcoming everyone back for The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival on October 1–2, 2027!

Until then, thank you for continuing to support Lyons Main Street and the wonderful community we are proud to serve.

Small town. Big heart. One REAL SQUEAL of a good time!