Tampa Bay Barbecue Festival adds craft beer

The Tampa Bay Barbecue Festival is advertising craft beer as part of its May 23-24 lineup at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg, alongside barbecue competition, live bands and on-site artists. Festival organizers and promotional partners published event listings this week describing the waterfront event as a two-day food-and-music gathering with cold local pours, mural artists and vendor booths. The festival website says the event will run from noon to 8 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. LNE Presents, which lists the event on its site, says tickets are on sale now. ### Where is the craft beer addition showing up? The festival’s official website says “craft beer” will be flowing throughout the weekend and lists “cold beer & drinks” as a featured part of the event. The same page pairs beer service with award-winning barbecue, live bands and artists creating murals in real time. A May 13 promotional post on 102.5 The Bone repeated that language, describing “award-winning BBQ, craft beer flowing, live bands on stage, and artists creating in real time” at a waterfront venue. (tampabaybarbecue.com) A similar listing on 107.3 The Eagle used the same description, indicating a coordinated promotional push by radio partners this week. ### What exactly is planned for the weekend? (tampabaybarbecue.com) Vinoy Park, at 701 Bayshore Drive NE in St. Petersburg, is listed as the site for the festival on May 23 and May 24. The event information page says visitors can expect more than 100 barbecue dishes from Florida competition teams, live mural artists, craft beer and cocktails, games and prizes, and music from bands and DJs. The same page says food will be available for purchase from more than 20 vendors. (theboneonline.com) Visit St. Pete-Clearwater’s event calendar lists the festival as an annual waterfront gathering and describes barbecue, beer, cornhole and live bands at the park. ### Who is attached to the event? LNE Presents lists Rodney Atkins, Blackberry Smoke, Austin Snell and Graham Barham among the named performers for the May 23 festival dates. (stpetebaconandbbq.com) The promoter’s page identifies the event as all-ages and says it begins at 12 p.m. at Vinoy Park. The festival website says part of the proceeds will benefit Friends of the Pier. Eventeny’s listing identifies Brewed Life Festivals as the organizer, though that page also says the listing had not been claimed by an organizer or representative. (stpetebaconandbbq.com) ### Is this a barbecue contest or a broader festival? The barbecue competition remains central to the event’s marketing. The competition page on the festival site says pitmasters will compete with brisket, ribs, chicken and pork butt, while attendees can vote for Tampa Bay’s best barbecue team. (lnepresents.com) At the same time, current promotions frame the weekend as more than a cook-off. The official site says the event is built around food, art and music together, while third-party listings describe a mix of local craft beer, family-friendly activities and waterfront entertainment. (tampabaybarbecue.com) ### What should visitors know before going? The festival information page says hours are noon to 8 p.m. on both days and dogs are allowed if leashed, cleaned up after and kept hydrated by their owners. (stpetebaconandbbq.com) The site also says attendees may request accessibility accommodations through the organizer’s contact form, with the City of St. Petersburg Community Affairs Division listed as a backup contact for disability-related assistance. (tampabaybarbecue.com) LNE Presents says tickets are available now for the May 23-24 event at Vinoy Park, and the festival website directs visitors to its ticketing page for entry options. The next public milestone is the opening day on Saturday, May 23, at 12 p.m. in St. Petersburg. (lnepresents.com) (stpetebaconandbbq.com)