LAKE PLACID -- The village's Independence Day celebration coincides with a barbecue extravaganza this year as grill chefs circle the oval under fireworks.

Lake Placid's annual I Love Barbeque Festival welcomes nearly 40 professional teams this weekend, more than twice the number who came to the first event three years ago.

Slow-cooking experts from as far off as Texas and Kansas City will compete for more than $7,500 in prize money, beginning Friday with the Midnight Grilling Bash.

They come towing smokers -- unique barrel-shaped grills, often home crafted -- designed to instill savory spice and mouth-watering woody hints to tender cuts of pork, beef, brisket and chicken.

The family-centered event, complete with game tents and Christmas characters celebrating July, is a fundraiser for Thomas Shipman Youth Center in Lake Placid.

The festival raises more than $20,000 annually for youth programs.

TOP CHEF CONTEST

Dmitry Feld, Shipman's president, built I Love Barbeque to a signature good time.

"We added many new elements this year," he said, listing several noted festival additions.

"We have a Milano North Top Chef competition where the best local chefs and barbecue teams compete for a title of top chef."

While slow cooking continues through the day, top-chef demonstrations every hour draw hungry and curious festival-goers to be judges.

Rules are simple, Feld said; the edible entries must include meat, fruit and vegetable.

"Then they can use their own imaginations. Their cooking is open to the public for free, and the people score and choose the winner."

From noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, the popular Buck-a-Rib opens competition barbecue pits to public taste-tests of rub and sauce flavors.

Last year's event sold out in rib-crazed enthusiasm.