KANNAPOLIS  — One of the top BBQ pitmasters in the United States, George “Tuffy” Stone, will join the city of Kannapolis and Smithfield at this year’s Jiggy with the Piggy.

Tuffy, is a judge and host on Destination America’s reality television show, “BBQ Pitmasters.”

Tuffy is well-known across the United States, especially among barbeque aficionados, for his culinary talents on the competitive barbeque circuit.

On Saturday, May 6, Tuffy will be at the Jiggy with the Piggy Festival showing off his mad skills at the grill and giving away samples to enjoy.

Stone started his competitive barbeque team Cool Smoke in 2004, and has since won 38 Grand Championships, 21 Reserve Grand Championships, 91 Top Fives, 124 Top Tens, and four World Championships.

A native of Virginia, he is also the owner of several businesses in Richmond: Rancho T, a Latin-inspired restaurant in the heart of Richmond’s Fan District; Q Barbeque, a restaurant where he says he has the intention of serving better barbecue for everybody; and A Sharper Palate, one of the largest catering companies in the city.

Jiggy with the Piggy is a two-day festival in downtown Kannapolis. The event is May 5-6. Little Texas headlines Friday night with a free concert. Both days are jam packed with activities for everyone.

For a complete schedule and more information visit jiggywiththepiggy.com.

Kannapolis Farmers Market

The Kannapolis Farmers Market will open a week early — Thursday, April 27 — in time for an abundance of ripe strawberries.

The market will be held every Thursday, 4-7 p.m. at the corner of Vance Avenue and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. The market continues through September.

Returning vendors offer a wide variety of fresh, local produce, as well as cheese, ice cream, honey, baked goods, spices, jewelry, crafts, honey, soaps, lotions, candy, candles and bee pollen.

For customers’ convenience, the market accepts credit cards, WIC, and SNAP/EBT.

Riot volunteers

Bread Riot’s annual fundraiser will be at The Vista at Walnut Hill this year on May 21 from 3-7 p.m.

The group is looking for volunteers to work for 1-2 hours at a time.

Most likely, help will be needed serving food.

They are looking for:

• Food servers (half hour to 45 minutes, tops)

• Front table to check in people.

• Children’s crafts.

• Set up in the late morning/early afternoon.

• Break down at 7 p.m.

Bread Riot is a nonprofit organization.

Hash browns

McCain Foods USAInc. is voluntarily recalling retail, frozen hash brown products that may be contaminated with extraneous golf ball materials.

“Despite our stringent supply standards (golf ball materials) may have been inadvertently harvested with potatoes used to make this product. Consumption of these products may pose a choking hazard or other physical injury to the mouth.”

McCain makes hash browns for Harris Teeter.

Call 630-857-4533 (Monday -Sunday, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. CST).

Didn’t know you could grow golf balls with your potatoes, did you?

Apparently, this is common in some potato fields, and golf balls have been sliced, diced, fried and salted, packed and presumably, eaten.