Kate Labbate, of Lake Placid, and Attila Zavodszky, of Celle, Germany, judge pork barbecue in the Lake Placid Middle-High School cafeteria Sunday during the 2019 I Love BBQ and Music Festival. More than 30 teams competed at the Olympic Speedskating Oval for Sunday’s Kansas City Barbeque Society contest, which wrapped up the three-day event. (Enterprise photo — Andy Flynn)

LAKE PLACID — On Labor Day weekend, residents and visitors alike may want to drive slowly past the North Elba Show Grounds with their windows open. Following the scent and the sounds will be one way to find the annual I Love BBQ and Music Festival, slated for Sept. 1-3.

The event, now in its 17th year, benefits children’s programs at the Shipman Youth Center in Lake Placid. The three-day festival is organized by USA Luge as a means of giving back to the community that has been the Winter Olympic federation’s home for 45 years. The event is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society.

“We’re expecting a fun weekend for this year’s festival,” said Dmitry Feld, USA Luge marketing manager, president of the Shipman Youth Center and longtime organizer of the festival. “The teams are anxious to return, but it’s our fans who come through the gates each day, that are the backbone of our success. We look forward to seeing many familiar faces over the holiday weekend.”

Starting on Sept. 1 when the gates open at 3 p.m., festival goers will be treated to public tastings of pulled pork and ribs; a Top Chef competition that’s open for the public to observe; fiery competitions among barbecue teams from North America battling for $8,500 in prize money; food vendors; inflatable attractions for kids; musical entertainment from around the region; Krusher BMX bike exhibitions; and professional wrestling presented by Performance Arts Connection.

Over the past 16 years, the I Love BBQ and Music Festival has raised nearly $350,000 for the Shipman Youth Center. It is the center’s most significant fundraiser each year.

The youth center was inspired by Thomas Shipman, a designated Lake Placid youth police officer, who died in 1999 and built the center with community donations of money, materials and labor. For the last 24 years, the Shipman Youth Center has provided services to over 5,000 children.

Programs include homework assistance, community services, recreational services, weekly family-style dinners, travel and guest speakers. The center provides a supervised, safe and exciting environment where local children can grow and develop as individuals. Shipman Youth Center is 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

In addition to the festivities, a limited number of raffle tickets, 300 in total, will be sold. The winner will go home with the first prize of $10,000. A total of 15 cash prizes are part of this raffle. Raffle tickets may be purchased online at https://shipmanyouthcenter.wufoo.com/forms/z1tozjoj1lsuwsy.

For a complete daily schedule of the festival, please log on to: https://www.ilbbqf.com/schedule-of-events.