Barbecue fans: It's nearly go time. The Central Oregon BBQ, Blues & Whiskey Festival takes place this weekend at the Deschutes County Expo Center, inviting lovers of all things barbecue to come try barbecue from vendors that include Berts Chuckwagon BBQ, The Cluck N' Swine, Big Foot BBQ and Blood, Sweat & Tears Smoked Meats & BBQ. Food trucks on site include Tots!, Northwest Wing Shop, The Corndog Company and Dippin' Dots Ice Cream. And of course, sample Oregon whiskeys from Oregon Spirit Distillers, Crater Lake, Bull Run and more.
On top of the food, check out live music Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday, get down with Blackstrap Bluegrass, Hillstomp and Joanna Connor, and on Saturday, listen to Karen Lovely, Ben Rice & the Hustle, the Parnells and Gary Hoey.
Oh, and in case you want a little spice challenge in your life, sign up for the Spicy Wing Competition hosted by Wonderland Chicken Co. Participants eat three wings from each level of spiciness, combined with hot sauces from Sakari Farms. If you're looking to see what you're in for, check out the Instagram feed, @bendfestivals, where the team from the Source Weekly goes up against our colleagues and the organizers of the event – the Lay It Out Events crew — in a pre-event wing challenge of our own. Spoiler alert: the Source team rules!!