BBQ and Barrels festival holding '50-50 Raffle'

The City of Owensboro is working to raise interest in next weekend’s BBQ and Barrels Festival, while helping support future festivals, with a “50/50 Raffle.”

The winner of the raffle will receive half of the pot, while the other half will go toward planning for future festivals, said Shaelie Velez, the city’s communications and marketing manager.

Tickets for the raffle are now on sale on the festival’s website, bbqbarrels.com.

Tickets sold fill the pot, with one winner receiving half. “The other half goes back to the festival committee, so they can use it for future operation,” Velez said.

The festival, which is next Friday and Saturday, has expanded this year, with five church cooking teams, 25 barbecue vendors, food trucks selling items, more arts and craft vendors, a car show and a concert by country singer Chris Janson Saturday night. Other events include the “Bourbon Experience” and additional concerts at the Owensboro Convention Center.

Online tickets can only be purchased by people physically in Kentucky, Velez said. On Friday and Saturday, raffle booths will be lined up and down the festival in downtown, Velez said.

“We’re going to announce the winner at the Chris Janson” show, Velez said.

In addition to boosting future BBQ and Barrels festivals, the raffle will create another incentive for people to attend, Velez said.

“It’s just something that gets people excited to come downtown,” Velez said. “After last year’s event, the question was, ‘what can we do to make it bigger and better?’ ”

Tickets prices are three tickets for $10, 20 tickets for $20, 60 tickets for $40, and 180 tickets for $100. As of Friday, the pot was at $790.