Super Bowl Sunday. It’s practically a national holiday. Sure, it’s a celebration of football, commercials, friendship and good times, but in Brentwood, Super Bowl Sunday means barbecue.

The 10th annual Brentwood PAL BBQ King Cookoff will be hosted at Harvest Park Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 6, and once again barbecuers from as far as San Jose and Pacifica will descend on East County for a battle of the beef, competing to see who cooks up the most mouth-watering, finger-licking good barbecue.

This year’s event is projected to be the most successful yet. Eighteen barbecue teams, which will compete in chicken, tri-tip and rib categories, have registered for the event as well as eight chili contenders and a dozen dessert devotees. In the end, only one BBQ King will be selected, but the community is the real winner.

Between the hours of 1 and 3 p.m., attendees are welcome to sample the taste-bud-bursting barbecue. Advance tickets are available now at Harvest Park Bowl (5000 Balfour Road), Brentwood Fine Meats (3877 Walnut Blvd.) and the Brentwood Press (248 Oak St.) for $25. Tickets purchased at the event cost $30. Children under the age of 12 eat for $15, but why not make it a family affair? The Family Pass, which includes two adult meals and up to three kid’s meals, runs for $60.

If you’ve already got your own Super Bowl celebration planned, fear not. You can still enjoy a variety of barbecue goodies. Brentwood Fine Meats is offering Super Bowl packages: two-pound tri tips for $26; six chicken breasts for $24; and a rack of ribs for $20. Place your order now by calling 925-513-0595.

While the food will be fabulous, keep in mind that this popular East County tradition is about community. All proceeds benefit the East Contra Costa Historical Society and the Brentwood Police Activities League.

Once the barbecuing is over, there’s still plenty of fun to be had. Harvest Park Bowl will feature a special Super Bowl bowling package: games will cost only $2; shoe rental will be free. Harvest Park’s post-barbecue bash also features games for the kids, raffles, and an appearance by East County icon and Oakland Raiders superfan Gorilla Rilla, who’ll get the crowd pumped to watch the Pittsburg Steelers take on the Green Bay Packers.

Remember, this community barbecue won’t feature the typical weekend grilling you see at backyard festivities. Barbecuing is an art form, and the study and evolution of this talent has resulted in barbecue competitions sprouting up around the country. While it’s too late to enter the BBQ King Cookoff, Brentwood PAL will sponsor its first Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned cookoff on Memorial Day weekend at The Streets of Brentwood, so keep those Weber’s warm – there’s more good food to come.

For more information about the Brentwood PAL BBQ King Cookoff, call Greg Robinson at 925-487-6383.