Westport's Third Annual Food & Music Festival This Weekend

Westport's annual Blues, Views & BBQ Festival celebrates food, music and family with an exciting line-up of bands, barbecue and cooking events, and family and children's activities on the weekend of September 24, 25 and 26 on the grounds of the Levitt Pavilion and Westport Public Library.

Tickets to the festival, which start at $10 per day on Saturday and Sunday, and $45 for the Friday night concert, can be purchased online at www.levittpavilion.com while detailed information is available at www.bluesviewsbbq.com. The festival will be held rain or shine.

"I've had fun at the last two BBQ fests, " said Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff. "For Westport, this is a real down-home, country-style event that brings our local community together with visitors from all over the region who share a love of great American food and music."

This year's fest, sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society, the country's premier barbecue organization, features the amateur backyard Cookin' For A Cause competition, in which teams of two to four participants compete in categories of chicken, ribs, and "chef's choice."

At the same time, certified pit-masters will be grilling, smoking and barbecuing in the Pro Invitational competition. This year, both contests are followed by a Pro-Am Invitational "Throwdown" competition where amateur teams compete against the pros. The Pro-Am Invitational includes an "Iron Chef"-style twist where competitors must use three mystery ingredients. Kids also will have an opportunity to compete in a separate Kids Q barbecue competition. All proceeds from the competitions will be donated to Westport's Emergency Food Distribution Program, also known as the Food Closet, founded by the Westport Woman's Club.

The Blues, Views & BBQ Fest features celebrity chefs, including author Rick Browne, host of Barbecue America, Westport's own Pietro Scotti, of the acclaimed DaPietro's, and Chef Nicole Straight, founder of the popular Time To Eat teaching program. On Saturday, Rick Browne will give an author's talk at the Westport Public Library, demonstrate master griller recipes and participate in the festival's pro-am barbecue Iron Chef-style "throw-down" contest. Sunday features Pietro Scotti, and Suzanne Banfield, winner of Sutter's Build-A-Better-Burger contest. On Sunday, Rick Browne will also be signing books both days, and mentoring the Kids Q participants. 

Also new this year is a headliner Blues Traveler concert on Friday evening. Sponsored by TD Bank, and produced by the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, the Blues Traveler concert will benefit the Levitt. The music line-up continues on Saturday and Sunday with 11 blues and rock performers, including Popa Chubby, Li'l Ed and The Blues Imperials, and the Uptown Horns Revue, featuring two Connecticut vocalists Christine Ohlman, Debbie Davies, as well as Joe Louis Walker.

Westport resident and Uptown Horns Revue member Crispin Cioe said, "The sensibility of the Westport Blues, Views & BBQ Fest is organic and eclectic, with great musicians and also acts who might be just a bit under the radar. We also like to create new combinations of musicians who may not have played together before." Crispin, who just finished touring with the J Geils Band, added, "This year's Blues, Views & BBQ Festival is the kick-off for the revival of the Uptown Horns, which has been relatively quiet for the last ten years."  Called "notoriously funky" by ABC News, the Uptown Horns toured with the Rolling Stones, and played with Iggy Pop, James Brown, the B52s, and Elvis Costello, among others.

On Saturday, other performers include Manny and Mojomatics, Erin Troy Danner, and Black and White featuring Dave Howard, Bryan Lee and the Blues Power Band. Sunday features performances by Dan Stevens, Guitar George Baker, Charlie Karp and the Namedroppers, and the SaRon Crenshaw Band.

 "This is truly our best music line-up ever," said Bob LeRose, a patron of regional musicians and owner of BobbyQ's Bodacious BBQ & Grill. "These artists represent the best of what's around regionally, nationally and locally. Regardless of what time you show up, you are going to hear great music."

The artists represent a range of blues music, from Popa Chubby's hard-driving contemporary blues rock to legendary R&B guitar virtuoso George Baker, a Louisiana native who played in the Harlem's Apollo house band and spent years touring with greats such as Marvin Gaye. Dave Howard, who performs with Black and White, is the former lead singer of crowd favorite Roomful of Blues. New Orleans great Bryan Lee, who plays with the Blues Power Band on Saturday, is "one of the best bluesmen I have ever heard," according to Eric Clapton.

In addition to all-day music performances and cooking events, the Blues, Views & BBQ Fest boasts an array of cultural and family activities, including large inflatable fun, movies at the Westport Public Library, face-painting, street theater performers, Fairfield's School of Rock, and Yankee Paintball Target Practice. The Connecticut Blues Society will have its own tent, with educational music demonstrations, and the Westport Public Library will have an author's talk  and book signing by Mary Lou Sullivan, author of Raisin' Cain-The Wild and Raucous Story of Johnny Winter.

Westport's 2010 Blues, Views & BBQ Fest is organized by the Westport Downtown Merchants Association, which partnered with the Levitt Pavilion to produce the Blues Traveler concert. Greenfield Partners is the lead sponsor for the 2010 Blues, Views & BBQ Fest. Other sponsors include BobbyQ's Bodacious Bar & Grill ,Melissa and Doug, Whole Foods (Westport), Optimum, and Trinchero Family Estates. Proceeds from the Blues Traveler concert will benefit the Levitt Pavilion, while a portion of the proceeds from Saturday's  events will benefit the Westport Woman's Club Food Closet.

The Westport Public Library and Builders Beyond Borders will also benefit from the weekend's events. A three-day pass that includes the Blues Traveler concert is $60; daily tickets are $10, and a two-day weekend pass costs $15. For more information, visit www.bluesviewsbbq.com.