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Smells of barbecue and sounds of live music will fill the air in downtown Brighton Friday and Saturday.
Brighton’s 14th Annual Smokin’ Jazz & Barbecue Blues Festival returns from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday. Most activities will happen on Main Street, between Grand River Avenue and First Street.
Restaurants and food trucks that cook barbecue will serve up eats, like ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket and more.
Charlie’s Smokin’ Bar-B-Q will attempt to defend its first place title. The Flint eatery and catering business won last year’s judges’ competition.
The eatery is among about 20 barbecue vendors set to participate this year.
“It’s for the bragging rights. They are very into that,” said festival organizer Jen Ling, the new director of events for the Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce.
Ling said people’s choice awards for the best barbecue will return again this year.
“People on the street can come up to the chamber information booth, which will be near Running Lab, and vote,” Ling said.
In addition to barbecue vendors, 11 other food vendors will serve up eats ranging from pizza and hot dogs to sweets and kettle corn.
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Ling said the event has grown over the years.
It began as a small gathering of music and food lovers, who met up in a downtown parking lot.
“We expect 50,000-plus to come this year,” Ling said.
The festival will offer more than food and music.
Cornhole tournaments for charity will be held for the second year. Men 4 A Cause, a charitable arm of the Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce, will host two tournaments from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday at the public parking lot near Brighton City Hall off Mill Pond Lane. Those interested in playing are encourage to preregister online for a $25 charge at www.jeep101.com/event-details/cornhole-tournament-at-smokin-jazz-2019
“Last year, it was really dynamic and we had a great time,” Men 4 A Cause Vice President Johnny Ore said.
The organization will host a competitive tournament, like last year, and a recreational tournament, which is something new they are trying.
“What we learned is that there are lots of people out there that are competitive players who run from tournament to tournament for the prize money,” Ore, who owns Brighton-based Authorized Vehicles Auto Brokers, said. “This year, backyard players can come and have fun without getting beaten up by the professionals.”
Funds Men 4 A Cause raises through charity events “provide immediate funds for people or groups in a crisis situation who fall between the cracks of another charity, or it would take too long to get a grant,” he said.
Pie eating contests for adults and kids will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday near Grand Traverse Pie Company’s booth. Online registration and more information is available online, at www.brightoncoc.org/events/details/pie-eating-contest-at-brighton-s-smokin-jazz-26469
“We’ve added more kids’ activities, like bounce houses, and SELCRA (South Eastern Livingston County Recreation Authority) will have more activities, like a light up climbing wall,” Ling said.
She said Puzzled Escape, an escape room company in Brighton, will present a scavenger hunt throughout the two-day festival.
“Basically, you start at their booth and they have clues up and down the street, and then you come back and get half off an escape room,” she said.
She said another new offering is giant tricycle rides for adults on West Street.
Live jazz and blues music performances will be held at a beer tent at the public parking lot near City Hall off Mill Pond Lane for a $5 cover change.
Free shuttle service will transport visitors to and from the event. Pick up is at the Meijer parking lot at 8650 W. Grand River Ave. Shuttles will pickup visitors from Meijer every hour from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Shuttle pick ups from downtown will run every hour 5:30-10:30 p.m. with the last trip back to Meijer occurring between 11 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
Jazz and blues bands performing this year are as follows:
FRIDAY
6-7 p.m. Audio Birds
7:15-8:15 p.m. Erich Goebel & The Flying Crowbars
8:30-9:45 p.m. JW-Jones
10-11 p.m. Randy Brock Group
SATURDAY
6-7 p.m. The Paxton Spangler Band
7:15-8:15 p.m. The Dylan Dunbar Quartet
8:30-9:45 p.m. Love Letters From Detroit
10-11 p.m. Rattlesnake Shake
More information about the festival is available online, at www.brightoncoc.org/brighton-smokin-jazz-barbecue-blues-festival
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Contact Livingston Daily reporter Jennifer Timar at 517-548-7148 or at jtimar@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Facebook @Jennifer.Timar99 and Twitter @JenTimar99.
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