The Five Things You Must Do at BBQ & Barrels in Downtown Owensboro

I have been attending Owensboro, Kentucky's International Bar-B-Q Festival since I was a kid. It's changed a lot over the course of the last 40 years or so, but the annual event is still going strong. Today, it's known as BBQ & Barrels and this year's festival may be one of the most exciting ever.

To get you ready to tackle two days of delicious barbecue and bourbon, I have compiled my list of The Five Things You Must Do at BBQ & Barrels!

#1- ATTEND THE FREE CHRIS JANSON CONCERT

Country music star Chris Janson will close out the festival with a FREE concert on the front lawn of the Owensboro Convention Center. The convention center is celebrating its 10th anniversary in town and officials teamed up with The City of Owensboro for this BBQ & Barrels finale concert.

Chris Janson, who's had huge hits on the country chart with songs like "Buy Me a Boat," "Good Vibes, "Fix a Drink," and more will be joined by Hannah Ellis, who's the opening act for the show.

#2- BUY A BBQ & BARRELS RAFFLE TICKET

For the first time ever, there's going to be a 50/50 Half Pot Raffle at the festival!

Inspired by a similar jackpot from the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival in Evansville, IN, organizers here in Owensboro have created the BBQ & Barrels 50/50 Half Pot. Tickets are on sale online and will also be sold at booths scattered throughout downtown Owensboro this weekend. By the way, due to gaming laws in Kentucky, you MUST be in Kentucky to purchase tickets online. However, during the festival, anyone can purchase tickets from a booth. There are several ticket bundles available for sale and the winner will be announced moments before the Chris Janson concert Saturday evening!

READ MORE: A 50/50 HALF POT RAFFLE IS COMING TO BBQ & BARRELS IN OWENSBORO

#3- BUY FOOD FROM A CHURCH COOKING TEAM

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Though the number of participating church teams has dwindled a bit over the years, there's no doubt that our local church cooking teams are the heartbeat of BBQ & Barrels. This year, there will four Catholic church teams serving up delicious mutton, pork, burgoo and more! Honestly, it's hard to choose a favorite. My advice- sample from each one. This year, Precious Blood, Lourdes, Blessed Mother and Immaculate will all be on hand serving it up!

#4- EAT SOMETHING DEEP FRIED

While the star of BBQ & Barrels is all the barbecue from our local church groups, teams competing in the Backyard Cookoff, and the various BBQ vendors (like Moonlite, Ole South and Old Hickory), you have to have dessert. BBQ & Barrels has a wide variety of deep-friend fill-in-the-blanks!  Speaking from experience of having my face covered in powdered sugar, I can't recommend hitting up a booth with a deep fryer enough. One year, I had a Red Velvet Funnel Cake. It was AMAZING!

#5- CELEBRATE THE 'BARRELS'

For the last few years, bourbon has been a focal point of Owensboro's BBQ & Barrels event. This year, there are nearly 40 different distilleries participating in the ticketed event inside the Owensboro Convention Center. Kentucky produces 95% of the world's bourbon and some of its most popular brands will be on full display! You'll see and sample renowned brands like Maker's Mark, Four Roses, Bulleit, and, of course, our hometown Green River Whiskey- the whiskey without regrets!

BBQ & Barrels is Friday, May 10th and Saturday, May 11th in downtown Owensboro, KY!  For more information about the event, CLICK HERE!