Eat all the meats at Sonny’s Smokin’ Showdown, Jan. 30

There’s no guarantee it’ll stay chilly until then, but you can bet your boots there will be plenty of fire to go around at Sonny’s Smokin’ Showdown, a barbecue invitational at the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford. The saucy weekend kicks off on Friday night with a dinner for competitors, but really gets going on Saturday. Here’s what to expect:

— a donut-eating contest for kids
— live music
— a rib-eating contest for grown-ups (sign me up!)
— cooking demos

And, of course, a ton of top-notch ‘cue for the taking. Best of all, the event is free (but bring cash if you want to eat), and parking is just $10. Walk off all that pulled pork and brisket with a little turn around the CFL Zoo afterward: stroll through their acres of botanical gardens, or fly through the air on their zipline course, which is one of the best adrenaline rushes for the money outside the theme parks.

Sonny’s Smokin’ Showdown
11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30
Central Florida Zoo, 3755 NW Highway 17-92, Sanford
sonnysshowdown.com

This article appears in Jan 13-19, 2016.