Bluegrass & BBQ Fest: A string-ticklin' good time Saturday in Harrisburg

One of southern Illinois' most popular destinations for bluegrass music, the Saline County Bluegrass and Barbecue Festival returns Saturday, Oct. 9 to Saline Creek Pioneer Village & Museum, at 1600 S. Feazel St. in Harrisburg.

The festival, which is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., features an all-southern Illinois band lineup:

9:30-11 a.m., the Tomcat Hill Social Club.

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., the Blackberry Blossom Bluegrass Band.

1:30-3 p.m., Cassie Andrews and Calico Creek.

3:30-5 p.m., George Portz & The Friends of Bluegrass.

Food trucks and other vendors will dot the museum campus. As of Thursday, organizer Lynn Murphy said, both Johnson Southern Style Bar-B-Q and Bar-B-Q Barn in Harrisburg have committed to be there, to feed the 1,000 to 2,000 people who typically come and go from the fest all day.

Murphy, a member of the Saline Tourism Board, said vendors will have booths offering an eclectic mix of stuff: pumpkins, mums, different foods, soaps, brooms, honey and more. More vendors are welcome to show up, she said.

The Bluegrass and Barbecue Festival is free to attend, although visitors are asked to bring donations of canned goods for the local food pantries. $1 parking is provided courtesy of the Harrisburg Boy Scouts.

In addition to enjoying a day of the finest bluegrass music in southern Illinois, visitors can explore Saline Creek Pioneer Village & Museum. This fascinating pioneer village includes the original Saline County Pauper Farm (now a three-story museum), an old jail, a one-room schoolhouse from 1859, the Cain Church, several 1800s-era log cabins, a thresher barn and a country store.

Murphy isn't sure of when the first Bluegrass and BBQ fest was held, but thinks it's been about 20 years. Most of that time, it's been held at the Pioneer Village and Museum. This year, the weather looks to be perfect on Saturday, she said.

Need more information? Call Lynn Murphy at (618) 967-3439.