photocredit:  Bicycle, Blues & BBQ facebook page

BY: RACHEL SMITH

 

Do you enjoy live music in the park?

What about rows and rows of delicious BBQ food vendors?

Or watching bicycles whiz by at incredible speeds?

Oh… maybe you’re just interested in an entire street with beautiful lake views where you can sample craft beers from various breweries around the state?

If you had even an INKLING of interest over any of the above questions, then you need to get your butt down to the Bicycle, Blues & BBQ festival at City Park.

Held the first weekend in July, (July 6, 7 & 8th) it’s the perfect event following the town’s massive Fourth of July celebration.  Especially since the holiday falls on a Wednesday this year, the BBBBQ is a great way to ride that party wave right into the weekend.

So what is it exactly?  Well, the event itself was recently recognized by Step Outside as one of the top 10 outdoor festivals in Iowa.

Woot! Woot!

And honestly, I think it gained this title because there is literally a little something for everyone to enjoy!  There’s a free race for kids under the age of 9, and the competitive races are for anyone ages 9-70+ year.  I mean… I’m no bicycle race enthusiast by any means, but the first year I attended this event I was completely mesmerized by the sheer speed of the cyclists.  It was impressive, and one of those things that I couldn’t NOT watch, ya know?  My eyes were glued to the street, waiting for them to round the corner and fly by again.

And I did all of this watching whilst stuffing my face with a pulled pork sandwich dripping in smoky BBQ sauce, and downing an ice cold beer.

Sounds like a little slice of Heaven, right?

So then – as if the event wasn’t already incredible awesome – Lake Time Brewery got involved and now hosts a craft beer festival along the seawall.  I mean, talk about the icing on the cake.  Brews on the Beach runs from 12-4pm on Saturday, July 7th.  That first hour, though, is just for the VIP crowd.  General admission can enter at 1pm and spend the next three hours tasting delicious craft brews from all around the state.

And while some of these beers will completely blow your mind with their deliciousness… I still think our very own Lake Time Brewery has the best beer around.

For real… have you tried the Oreo Speedwagon?  YUM.

I’m not sure there much more I can tell you about this awesome event, except that it wouldn’t be possible without the amazing volunteers that make it happen.  It’s only a few short weeks away, and with the busy holiday right in the thick of it, we need to get people signed up to help soon!

Don’t make me beg, y’all.  It won’t be pretty!

To sign up for a volunteer slot, please click HERE.

Or to purchase Brews on the Beach tickets click HERE.

And please be sure to find both events on Facebook and give them a LIKE!  More information on each event is located on their respective pages.

Lake Time Brewery    Bicycle Blues & BBQ