Many argue the best way to eat barbecue is to pull it straight from the shoulder.

Until last year, the judges held a monopoly on tasting all that great barbecue. Now, with the Lawry's People's Choice Awards, the masses of festivalgoers choose the winner of this new category. Fifty teams that cook pork shoulder vie for this honor. For a mere $3, you receive a ballot and five samples of their barbecue. Just like the certified judges, you must carefully consider the characteristics of appearance, tenderness, flavor, and the barbecue's overall impression before you cast your vote.

Walk the paths of Tom Lee Park long enough, and you will likely lose yourself in the fervent passion that identifies these barbecue masters. Just peer through the smoky haze, though, and you'll soon find the downtown skyline, the point of The Pyramid, and the double humps of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, which arrest any doubt in your mind of where and when you stand.