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Grand Rapids Favorite Event is the "Taste of Grand Rapids and Barbecue Competiton" where 25,000 people come to eat and enjoy great music!

The "Taste of Grand Rapids & Barbecue Competiton" is a two day event: An event featuring approximately 25 Grand Rapids restaurants plus a non-stop entertainment stage; and the "State of Michigan Barbecue Championship," Michigan's longest running Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned barbecue tournament - which attracts 50 or more teams throughout the United States trying to win the honor of Michigan State Champion.

Enjoy samples from some of your favorite restaurants or discover a new favorite restaurant right here at John Ball Park! Live entertainment, children's area and more.

Admission Rates: Free
Samples range from $1-$5.


Sample tastes from these local restaurants:

* XO Asian Cuisine
* Red Robin
* Schondelmayer Bar-B-Q
* Cold Stone Creamery
* Buono Mangiare
* Georgio's Gourmet Pizza
* Buffalo Wild Wings
* Grand Traverse Pie Company
* Koeze Retail Store
* 25 Kitchen and Bar
* Culver's
* Wing Heaven
* Chinatown
* San Chez Bistro
* Fred's Italian Restaurant
* GoJo Ethiopian Cuisine
* Taquito's
* The Melting Pot
* Mafia Mike's Pizza
* Famous Dave's
* Corner Bar
* Cafe San Juan
* Sandmann's
* Chez Olga
* Stone House Bread

Live entertainment from 13+ more local bands, including:
*Echoes of Pink Floyd - A Pink Floyd Tribute Band
*Zooropa: 2 Tribute Band

Official press release: (Grand Rapids, MI) The 2010 "Taste of Grand Rapids & BBQ Competition" kicks off Friday, July 23rd and Saturday, July 24th for two days of food tasting, live music, and a sanctioned barbecue tournament, at John Ball Park, 1300 West Fulton Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Hours for the "Taste of Grand Rapids and BBQ Competition" are 3pm to 10pm on Friday, July 23rd and 11am to10pm on Saturday, July 24th.

Admission and parking to the "Taste of Grand Rapids" is free. Patrons may purchase tastes and samples of food from 25 participating Grand Rapids area restaurants.

Live non-stop entertainment will be featured by 17 different bands including Echoes of Pink Floyd and Zooropa, two nationally renowned tribute bands.

Along with a wide variety of food and entertainment, the "Taste of Grand Rapids" will feature a Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned contest during the two days of the "Taste of Grand Rapids". Approximately 50 teams from half a dozen states are expected to compete to determine the State Barbecue Champion of Michigan.

"The food is the real star every year at the Taste of Grand Rapids," said Rich Berry, Events Coordinator for the event. "We have a number of new restaurants, so people will be pleasantly surprised. We want to give people the opportunity to try a number of different types of food inexpensively in one setting.

"The Taste of Grand Rapids is also an excellent opportunity for us to showcase a number of terrific local bands."

A Pink Floyd tribute band Echos of Pink Floyd will be headlining the "Taste of Grand Rapids" on Friday, July 23rd and a U2 tribute band Zooropa will headline on Saturday, July 24th.

"Both of these bands perform nationally and we are honored that they have chosen the Taste of Grand Rapids to showcase their talents. They are extremely talented and you actually think you are hearing the real bands," said Berry.

Hours for the "Taste of Grand Rapids" at John Ball Park are from 3pm to10pm on Friday, July 23rd and from 11am to10 pm on Saturday, July 24th. Admission and parking are free. John Ball Park is in northwest Grand Rapids, located at 1300 West Fulton Street.

Live Entertainment inlcudes...

Friday:

Don Bidell
Jim and Adam
Cities and Saints
Left Hand Daisy
Sam Parks Project
The Narrative
Echoes of Pink Floyd - Pink Floyd Tribute Band

Saturday:

Don Bidell
Sidetrack
Nine Mile Smile
Lefty Malone
Silversmith
Waverland
Just Jake
Righteous
The Narrative
Zooropa - U2 Tribute Band

Admission Rates: Free
Samples range from 1-7 tickets

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