Annual BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay

The Annual BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay brings slow-smoked brisket, craft beer, and live blues to the Ko-Kwel Casino Resort in North Bend, right on the Coos Bay waterfront on Oregon’s Adventure Coast. Over Memorial Day weekend, you get the best of both worlds: a sanctioned Kansas City Barbecue Society competition and a laid-back festival you can enjoy at your own pace. Spend the afternoon tasting your way through the grounds while bands like Inner Limits and The Strange Tones keep the music tent humming.

You’ll see dozens of teams chasing the Grand Champion title across the core categories of chicken, pork ribs, pork, and beef brisket, with extra fun in the People’s Choice voting for specialty bites such as mac and cheese or local oysters. Plan around two signature anchors: the Saturday evening headliner concert in the Salmon Room and the Sunday afternoon awards ceremony. The vibe stays coastal and casual, so you can focus on great food, great sound, and bay views.

Keep your timing and logistics tight. Admission is typically $5 per day, with kids 5 and under free, and arriving by noon gives you the best shot at popular samples before they sell out mid-afternoon. Barbecue samples usually run $2 to $6, and if you want to work the craft beer stations, pick up the $10 commemorative pint cup; sample pours are generally $4 and full 16 oz pours are $9. Parking can fill quickly on the holiday weekend, so we recommend arriving early or using local transit, and bringing a light jacket for the coastal breeze. It’s rain or shine, with most action under large tents or indoors.

For the easiest stay, book a room or RV spot at Ko-Kwel Casino Resort, but expect limited availability well in advance. You can also base yourself in Coos Bay or Charleston with shoreline rentals and coastal lodges, and use Lake.com to compare nearby water-adjacent options. Good to know: the festival is family friendly, but evening concerts and the casino floor are 21 and older; pets are generally not permitted in the festival area due to health regulations. Between turn-in times, many pitmasters are approachable for quick photos and a hello near their rigs, including occasional celebrity guests such as Big Moe Cason.