Gear up for BBQ & Blues at Smoke on the Water

If you can’t quite wait for BBQ & Blues April 24-25 here, you can warm up for it this weekend at the Smoke on the Water BBQ & Bluegrass Festival at Bickley’s lake in Upson County.The Upson event is also sanctioned by the Florida Barbecue Assoc. and joins the Barnesville festival as a Triple Crown title cookoff.Old Whiskey River Bourbon will be running its sauce contest there as it is at BBQ & Blues. The winner will receive a guitar autographed by Willie Nelson.As for music, Friday’s performers include Soul Kitchen, J.B. Walker, Connor Christian and headliner Sol Junky.Saturday’s acts are Leftover Biscuits, Soul Kitchen, Due South, Barbwire Bluegrass, Smokey’s Farm Land Band, Sonia Leigh and headliner Jypsi.Also appearing will be Carl the Cook from the John Boy & Billy radio show and Forrest Dilmore of Forrest’s Fine Foods who will do a dutch oven demonstration Friday afternoon.For more information: http://bbqandbluegrassfestival.com