ALLENTOWN, Pa.— Downtown this weekend, you can follow the sounds of soul R&B and guitar riffs mixed in with the scent of chefs grilling jerk chicken and smoked pork.
Allentown's Blues, Brews and Barbecue festival returns to Center City from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday.
There will be 20 national and local blues acts, including headliners Nikki Hill, Ghost Town Blues Band, Craig Thatcher Band (with Mike Guldin) and Malina Moye.
In total, there will be six music stages spread across the 600 and 700 blocks of Hamilton Street, plus North and South Seventh Street.
It's the 16th year for the outdoor music festival, for which admission is free.
In past years, it has drawn more than 25,000 people.
A map and complete lineup are available online.
Full schedule
Main stage: Dustin Douglas, noon to 1:15 p.m., Malina Moye, 2 to 3 p.m., Craig Thatcher Band (with Mike Guldin) 4:30 to 6 p.m., Ghost Town Band, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Nikki Hill, 8:30 to 10 p.m.
Blended Stage: Steve Johnson, noon to 1 p.m., Groove Merchants, 1:30 to 3 p.m., James Pace Band, 3 to 4:30 p.m., Tavern Tan 4 to 5:45 p.m.
Max & Butters Stage: The Mighty Manatees, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Bluestime, 3 to 4:30 p.m., Norman Taylor, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
PA Rye Co. Stage: The Bryant Brothers, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Little Red Rooster Band, 3 to 4 p.m., Fortunatos, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Lone Crow Rebellion, 6 to 7 p.m.
Bro Daddy's Stage: Soul Miners Union, 1:30 to 2:45 p.m., The Blues Reincarnation Project, 3 to 4:15 p.m., Mississippi Pig Farmers, 4:30 to 6 p.m., Regina Bonelli, 6:45 to 7:45 p.m.
What's on tap
Saturday's temperatures are expected to soar, with a high of 93 degrees expected, so why not cool off with a cold one?
Confirmed breweries include Allentown Brew Works, Fegley's Brew, Yuengling, Bru Daddy's, plus wine from Tolino Wineries.
The 16th Annual Blues, Brews, & Barbecue commemorative mug costs $15 and can be refilled during the festival.
Don't leave hungry: The free festival, organized by the City of Allentown, the Downtown Allentown Business Alliance and Allentown Chamber of Commerce, will offer all styles of barbecue from smoked pork to jerk chicken.
Where to park
All day-parking is available for $5 at the following garages: Spiral Deck (corner of Court and Eighth streets), Community Deck (corner of Walnut and Sixth streets) and Trans Center (corner of Linden and Sixth streets).
