Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The 12th annual Rockin’ Rib-Off and Rick Carter Songwriter Festival is back this weekend in downtown Selma.

While the main event features as many as 14 teams cooking ribs for the crowd, the event has also turned into a great music festival as well. It begins with the Rick Carter Songwriter Festival, which will take place outside of the Blackbelt Benefit Group’s building on Water Avenue.

Blackbelt Benefit Group board member Clay Carmichael said this part of the event is dedicated to Rick Carter, who is no stranger to Selma. He is a founding member of Telluride and Rollin in the Hay. His band has become a staple of the event.

“As you can see, we have a lot of talent from the state of Alabama, and everyone who’s performing here is from here or has ties here,” Carmichael said. “We hope that this will help bring in more people to this year’s event as fans of each of the artist will come and spend time here at the festival.”

Songwriter Festival Lineup

The first songwriter takes the stage at 1:15 p.m. with Mac Spencer, guitarist and songwriter from Marion Junction. He will be joined by Yawn Hawkins, the stage alias of singer-songwriter John Carter.

Mutt Cooper takes the stage at 2 p.m. He is a Navy veteran and Alabama singer-songwriter whose influences are gospel, country and blues. He will be joined by Larry Mitchell, an artist with deep Selma roots.

Lolly Lee and Erin MInter take the stage at 2:45 p.m. Lee dubs herself as the “nicest weirdo you’ll ever meet” while Minter is a songwriter from Helena.

Ian Cuthberson, a Pelham singer-songwriter, will be joined by Rick Carter himself for the final installment of the songwriter festival at 3:30 p.m.

Main Stage Lineup

Debbie Bond and Carroline Shines kick off the entertainment on the main stage at 4:30 p.m. Bond has played singing music heavily influence by blues legends all around the state for the past 40 year.  Shines is a blues singer extraordinaire who comes to Selma from the Windy City by way of Holt, Alabama.

Selma’s own Necie Sounds will take the stage at 5:30 p.m. She is a native of Valley Grande. Her band has been performing all around since 2023.

The Selma Boys joined by Donna Hall will take the stage at 6:30 p.m.

Finally, the event ends with headliner Dalton Bush. He’s been singing and writing music since age 15. He has opened for some of the biggest names in the business as he works on his debut album to be released this year.

Rain or Shine

The event goes on rain or shine. Carmichael said if rain occurs, they will pause the entertainment, and then begin again once the rain stops.

“This time of year, you really don’t know what the weather is going to do,” Carmichael said. “I think the high is supposed to be in the upper 80s. There’s always a chance of rain, but it won’t stop us from having a good time. We might pause the events going on until the rain passes, but we will get going again as soon as it stops.”

The Rib-Off

The teams will have rib-themed appetizers all throughout the day. Carmichael has seen anything from fried ribs to rib sandwiches.

Around 4 p.m. is when the teams are finished cooking. That’s when the teams allow attendees to sample the ribs. Carmichael said the ribs go fast every year.

“I’ve never gotten to taste one of the ribs,” Carmichael said. “I’m always helping out the judges and watching them eat ribs. By the time we’re finished judging, all of the ribs are gone.”

The good news is that the $20 cover charge covers all of the music, entertainment, kids zone and ribs, as long as they last, as they want. The only things they will need are an umbrella, chairs and additional cash for team tips, drinks, ice cream and money for other vendors. You can also bring a cooler in for $10.

Proceeds from the benefit will go toward Rise and Recover Selma.