KINSTON, N.C. (WITN) -Kinston may be the place to be this weekend, if you’re someone in the east who loves good barbecue.

People from across the east packed the streets of downtown Kinston Friday night as the 43rd annual BBQ Fest on the Neuse got underway.

“When you leave, you feel like you had a good weekend,” said BBQ Festival on the Neuse hog cook-off contestant, Paul Gainey. “You feel like you enjoyed being around the people you were around.”

Live music, carnival rides, and more than 150 vendors are some of the fun things people look forward to when coming to the festival, but others are busy preparing for the highly anticipated whole hog cook-off on Saturday.

This year’s cook-off may be one of the most historic as there are over 100 teams competing for the BBQ Fest on the Neuse crown, which some say has raised the level of intensity.

“If you ever look at NASCAR, you’ve got guys who’re friends but when the green flag drops it’s time to go,” Gainey said. “That’s kind of how it is here.”

“This is always cool,” said BBQ Festival on the Neuse hog cook-off contestant, Bradley Hughes. “They come and drop the pig off while music is playing. You feel like a rockstar with all the lights on.”

The festival will continue Saturday as judging for the hog cook-off begins around 8 a.m.