ARTICLE
ALLENTOWN — With the smell of barbecue hovering in the air, Tim Burns sat in a lawn chair in front of PPL Plaza and tapped his foot to the sound of blues artist Doug Ashby, performing on stage in front of him. It was the third time Burns has spent a warm Saturday on Hamilton Street for Allentown's annual Blues, Brews & Barbecue festival. "I'm a huge music enthusiast," Burns said. "I love blues. This is always on my calendar every year." The festival has been around since 2008 but really found its groove last year when it doubled in size from one block to two blocks on Hamilton Street, attracting 10,000 people, more than any other previous year. This year, Blues, Brews & Barbecue expanded to a third block, stretching from Sixth Street to Ninth Street and had four stages. A record 25 food vendors — including, Baby Got "Que," Bob-B-Q Sliders & Sides, and Fire & Spice BBQ — filled the span. In another first, the intersection at Seventh and Hamilton streets was closed to make room for a bigger stage at The Hamilton Kitchen. The free, 12-hour street fare was set to go until midnight Saturday. The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce coordinates the festival through its Hamilton District Main Street program. Organizers were hoping for more than 10,000 people, but cloudy skies early in the afternoon might have kept some folks at home. Still, the streets were crowded as festival-goers took swigs of local craft brews and noshed on pulled pork sandwiches, barbecued ribs and beef brisket. It was the first time Maria Baunieo, of Allentown, stopped by the festival. She was craving something from Jerkie's Jamaican BBQ. She found exactly what she was looking for with jerk chicken, rice and beans, and steamed cabbage "It's delicious," she said between bites. "It's a lot of flavor. Good and spicy." The festival maintained a family-friendly feel. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms' mascot MeLVin danced with children in front of PPL Center, where the minor league hockey team plays. Laughing children participated in a long-jump contest and had their faces painted. Jamie Alexander's 4-year-old son, Ben, ran through the fountain at PPL Plaza to cool off, his dripping wet T-shirt making the hot afternoon sun bearable. Alexander and her friend Cheyenne Bennett, both of Bethlehem, brought Ben to the festival for something to do Saturday. Besides watching Ben frolic in the fountain, they also bought jewelry at a craft stand and ate plenty of food, including mac-and-cheese balls, cheese burgers and cupcakes. "It's the ninth year and I didn't even know this existed," Bennett said. "But I'm having fun. I like it a lot." Click here to read the entire article
ALLENTOWN — With the smell of barbecue hovering in the air, Tim Burns sat in a lawn chair in front of PPL Plaza and tapped his foot to the sound of blues artist Doug Ashby, performing on stage in front of him.
It was the third time Burns has spent a warm Saturday on Hamilton Street for Allentown's annual Blues, Brews & Barbecue festival.
"I'm a huge music enthusiast," Burns said. "I love blues. This is always on my calendar every year."
The festival has been around since 2008 but really found its groove last year when it doubled in size from one block to two blocks on Hamilton Street, attracting 10,000 people, more than any other previous year.
This year, Blues, Brews & Barbecue expanded to a third block, stretching from Sixth Street to Ninth Street and had four stages. A record 25 food vendors — including, Baby Got "Que," Bob-B-Q Sliders & Sides, and Fire & Spice BBQ — filled the span.
In another first, the intersection at Seventh and Hamilton streets was closed to make room for a bigger stage at The Hamilton Kitchen.
The free, 12-hour street fare was set to go until midnight Saturday.
The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce coordinates the festival through its Hamilton District Main Street program. Organizers were hoping for more than 10,000 people, but cloudy skies early in the afternoon might have kept some folks at home.
Still, the streets were crowded as festival-goers took swigs of local craft brews and noshed on pulled pork sandwiches, barbecued ribs and beef brisket.
It was the first time Maria Baunieo, of Allentown, stopped by the festival. She was craving something from Jerkie's Jamaican BBQ. She found exactly what she was looking for with jerk chicken, rice and beans, and steamed cabbage
"It's delicious," she said between bites. "It's a lot of flavor. Good and spicy."
The festival maintained a family-friendly feel. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms' mascot MeLVin danced with children in front of PPL Center, where the minor league hockey team plays. Laughing children participated in a long-jump contest and had their faces painted.
Jamie Alexander's 4-year-old son, Ben, ran through the fountain at PPL Plaza to cool off, his dripping wet T-shirt making the hot afternoon sun bearable. Alexander and her friend Cheyenne Bennett, both of Bethlehem, brought Ben to the festival for something to do Saturday.
Besides watching Ben frolic in the fountain, they also bought jewelry at a craft stand and ate plenty of food, including mac-and-cheese balls, cheese burgers and cupcakes.
"It's the ninth year and I didn't even know this existed," Bennett said. "But I'm having fun. I like it a lot."