The front of the Barbecue Cookoff tasters’ tent has been made to look like old western storefronts at the parking lot across from Baum Stadium as part of Bikes, Blues & BBQ. Cooking started today, but the serious barbecue and judging will be Saturday. The public will get a chance at voting for their favorite during the People’s Choice tasting contest beginning Friday at 6 p.m.

Fayetteville police say Thursday night was a little busier, with six arrests for public intoxication, two for criminal mischief and one for disorderly conduct. Police also issued two citations for careless driving and two citations for engine revving. Two stolen cars were also recovered on Dickson Street, according to police. The vehicles, a Chevrolet Avalanche and a Dodge Charger, were both stolen in Springdale by juveniles who were charged with felony theft by receiving.

Surely, there are deer in the woods of Northwest Arkansas shaking their heads, wondering how a brethren learned how to ride a motorcycle. Landus Dutton of Harrison shows his unique headgear during the Bikes, Blues & BBQ. “I’d seen it a couple of times and thought I had to get me some of those,” Dutton said. “They’re a lot of fun — and that’s what it’s all about, having fun.”

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Security’s going smooth at the southern venue, but that doesn’t entitle Lt. Gary Crain to much of a lunch break.

The University of Arkansas officer got a few minutes to run over and grab a plateful of ribs, but a leisurely lunch was out of the question.

“I’ve got to eat standing up, so it’s not much of a lunch break,” Crain said. “I still wouldn’t miss the barbecue for anything, because it’s all pretty darn good.”

Representatives from Progressive Insurance were accosting patrons at Bikes, Blues & BBQ with roasted corn on a stick today at Baum Stadium. The food was used to elicit a $1 donation, part of a program called Corn for Kids, with proceeds to benefit the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. They would then take your picture with corn between your teeth and later will post the picture to Facebook. Few turned down the invitations.

Food at Bikes, Blues & BBQ was as varied as the bikes. Basically, if it walks, crawls, swims or flies you can find it cooked — and on a stick.

Who says there’s nothing going on inside Baum Stadium?

Surrounded by the southern venue of Bikes, Blues, & BBQ, about 40 young men were focused on something serious — there are only 25 roster slots on the University of Arkansas baseball team, and fall practice is in full swing.

Rumbling pipes didn’t seem to bother the players, and for once the sweet smell of barbecue wafted in from behind home plate instead of the grills of the Hog Pen in left field.

The Arkansas Missouri Railroad began running a train today between Baum Stadium and Dickson Street, taking people between venues at Bikes, Blues & BBQ. One of the first riders off the train at the Baum Stadium site was Darin Ford of Amarillo, Texas. “My first train ride,” Ford said. “It was great.” Most passengers commented about the restoration work done on the passenger train cars.

When they say choppers of every kind come to Bikes, Blues & BBQ, they mean it. Operators at the parking lot across Baum Stadium were offering helicopter rides — but most people didn’t know about the rides until they showed up. The five-minute ride takes passengers over Dickson Street, Razorback Stadium and over Baum. “Basically, over the guts of the rally,” the operators said.

Contestants for the Bikes, Blues & BBQ cookoff began pouring into the parking lot across from Baum Stadium this afternoon. Cookoff officials said teams will be setting up today and tomorrow in anticipation of the Saturday competition. This year, for the first time ever, Bikes, Blues & BBQ has been selected by Kansas City Barbecue Society to be one of the stops on the 23-city 2009 KCBS Great American BBQ Tour.

Butch Prater and his wife, Yevon, of Prairie Grove prepare to test ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle today at Baum Stadium as part of Bikes, Blues & BBQ. Andi Stelpflug, in charge of the event, said drivers follow a suggested route that allows them to drive on a little of the area’s back roads and a little highway. The test drive runs 10 to 12 miles. Harley-Davidson is the only cycle company that allows bikers to take the bikes out by themselves, Stelpflug said.

Bikes, Blues & BBQ kicked off Wednesday Sept. 23, 2009 with the usual rumble.

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This motorcycle could be yours. Look for it at the corner of Dickson St. and West Ave.

Fayetteville police say one motorcyclist is in critical condition today after hitting a curb on Razorback Road Wednesday night and flying off the bike. Sgt. Bill Phelan said the unidentified biker was not wearing a helmet.

There was also one citation issued for battery and disorderly conduct and a couple for people under 21 who were not wearing helmets.

Phelan said most warnings issued were for people bringing dogs to the event. Dogs are not allowed.
Phelan said things remained pretty quiet for police.

A packed house at Jose’s Restaurant on Dickson Street was treated right by the preliminary round of the 2009 Miss BBB contest.

The bikinis were skimpy but there were no shortages of beer and light bulb flashes as each contestant got her chance to shine on stage. A little bit of homefield advantage played well for Melissa Daugherty, a waitress at the restaurant who — surprise! — won first place and will join three other babes moving on to the next round.

Preliminary rounds continue at 10 p.m. Thursday at Jose’s, and at 10 p.m. Friday at George’s Majestic Lounge. Finals of the 2009 Miss BBB follow the final act on the Main Stage at midnight Saturday.

With a little help from two brothers, this band brought rock blues…the kind your mother warned you about.

The brothers Eoff, Josh and Justin, collided on guitar and drums respectively on classic Hendrix covers and an almost required cover at a blues show of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Crossfire.” Josh’s noodling on the guitar was the drive of the band, backed by Justin’s steady beat and vocals, and by bass player Alex Haag’s booming licks.

When the band invited “Uncle Joe” on stage to play harmonica, the crowd finally got moving out of their seats.

The barbecue is sizzling on the grill and the bikes are grumbling down Dickson Street. The only thing missing was the blues. Music at the main stage kicked off at 5 p.m. with Minus Bob.

“It’s nice to have a little sunshine,” the lead singer blurted to the crowd just as the overcast skies cleared, giving way to a few rays. But the storm clouds and the blues returned as the band jumped into a powerful “When I’m Delivered” and the ballad “Something Shining In Your Eyes.” And as if to taunt the fear of rain, Minus Bob pulled out an upbeat “Rainy Day Song.”

Little Hoojin’ just took the stage and will be followed by The Eoff Brothers at 9 p.m.

Dickson Street in Fayetteville is normally quiet on Wednesday mornings but today it’s bustling with activity as vendors put the finishing touches on booths and security people make last minute adjustments. Bikes are starting to fill on-street parking spaces and the smell of food hitting the cookers is wafting over downtown. Event officials plan to open headquarters at 3 p.m. The sun just popped out. It’s almost time to party!

Police, Emergency Personnel Plan To Stand Out

FAYETTEVILLE — The answer to medical emergencies, police calls or traffic jams at Bikes, Blues & BBQ all come down to one simple color. If you’ve got a problem, think yellow.

Security personnel in and around the beer gardens in parking lots outside the Walton Arts Center downtown and Baum Stadium in south Fayetteville will be wearing the the neon hue. Out on the streets and in vendor areas surrounding the stadium, reflective yellow traffic vests make police officers from Fayetteville, Washington County and the University of Arkansas, as well as paramedics from Central Emergency Medical Services, stand out among the crowd.

“We want people to be able to spot us, and the vests make us much more visible,” Sgt. Doug Pope, events coordinator for the Fayetteville Police Department, told downtown merchants.

Police, paramedics and other security personnel will cover the rally nonstop, from this morning until Sunday morning.

“There aren’t a lot of changes for us this year in terms of how we operate,” said Mike Neville, security coordinator for the beer gardens. “We’re using more T-shirt security and fewer uniformed officers to cut back on cost this year, but there’s still plenty of uniforms nearby.”

Past rallies haven’t produced many problems, according to Fayetteville police. Arrests average about the same as a weekend when the Razorbacks have a home football game.

The only major incident — a stabbing after a ZZ Top concert in 2007 — turned out to be locals who had been fighting and happened to see each other at the concert.

“Honestly, we don’t have problems with the bikers,” said Nelson Driver, rally director. “Where we see things go bad is locals who use the rally as an excuse to get a little out of hand.”

Tactics and logistics have evolved as the rally has grown over the last decade, as organizers improved on plans from previous rallies and stole ideas from other big motorcycle venues. The yellow vests and the roving teams of police and paramedics are both borrowed from Daytona Beach, where they work well during that city’s two annual bike rallies. The decision to close West Avenue between Spring and Lafayette streets came from Fayetteville firefighters, who had trouble in previous years getting fire engines through rows of parked motorcycles.

“We’ve really promoted the family-friendly aspect of this event, and I think everybody’s on the same page,” Driver said. “I hope nobody needs help from a police officer or EMT, but if they do, we’ll get them whatever help they need.”

By Dan Craft
THE MORNING NEWS

FAYETTEVILLE — Bikes, Blues & BBQ will likely bring a huge crowd to Dickson Street again this year, as the 10th annual rally begins Sept. 23, organizers said.

“Expect it to be packed,” said Nelson Driver, rally director. “We’re not seeing any indications that there will be any less of a crowd than we have had in the past.”

The logistics and restrictions for next week’s motorcycle rally will be similar to last year, organizers told downtown business owners Tuesday.

While the main stage in the Walton Arts Center parking lot is already in place, merchants in the Dickson Street area will still see plenty of vendor big rigs pulling in as soon as Monday morning, Driver said.

“We’re not changing much from last year. The timing, the footprint, they’re all going to be pretty much unchanged,” Driver said. “Most of you have been through this before, so there’s not a lot of new information to share.”

Employee parking will be scarce, but police escorts will be available for late-shift workers who don’t want to walk to their cars alone, said Sgt. Bill Phelan of the Fayetteville Police Department.

Police officers, paramedics and other emergency responders will also be patrolling by sectors during the rally, and will try to make contact with businesses in their areas to see what help might be needed, he said.

“If you’ve got an issue, we shouldn’t be far away. Just call, and we can help with whatever’s going on,” he said.

The rally officially begins at 3 p.m. Sept. 23 and ends at 2 a.m. Sept. 27, when the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad makes its final shuttle run and the last bars close, Driver said.

Deliveries of food, beer and other business needs should be scheduled as early in the day as possible, especially if it involves large delivery trucks, said Sgt. Doug Pope of the Police Department.

“On Saturday, it’ll be a madhouse by 9 a.m., and we’re not going to be able to guide those delivery trucks through the crowds and the traffic,” Pope said. “Stock up if you can beforehand.”

One parking alternative for bar and restaurant employees might be to park at the track center and ride the train to Dickson Street, Driver said.

The train runs from noon Sept. 23 to 1 a.m. Sept. 24, 9 a.m. Sept. 24 to 1 a.m. Sept. 25 and 9 a.m. Sept. 25 to 2 a.m. Sept. 26.

“If you’re not getting off until 4 a.m., it won’t work, but for the earlier shifts, it might be easier getting in and out than trying to park downtown and fight your way to work on foot,” he said.

The UA-Texas football game starts at 2:30 p.m. today and schedules of some events have been tweaked so rally-goers can watch the game at Tyson Track Center.

The Stokes Air Battle of the Bikes motorcycle competition at the Tyson Track Center is going on now. Winners will be announced about 2:30 pm, just prior to kickoff.

The Peoples Choice BBQ competition winner will be announced at 2:30 p.m. at the barbecue area on the parking lot northeast of Razorback Road and 15th Street. Winners of the KCBS and Arkansas State BBQ competition will be announced at 3 p.m.

The Blues Train starts running at 11 a.m. and is supposed to make runs til after midnight. The loading point is a little hard to find. It’s off Dickson between George’s and Powerhouse. The ride is a quick 7-10 minutes and will be the fastest way today to get back and forth between venues. When you get off near the corner of Razorback Road and 15th Street it’s only steps to the Saloon beer garden. Shuttle bus service runs til 1:30 a.m. You can ride the bus or the train all day for $10, wristbands are available the BBB headquarters in the lobby of the Walton Arts Center.

Fayetteville police report a fatality vehicle accident happened last night on Wedington at the Green Acres mobile home park. The accident did not involve a motorcycle and no other details, including the name of the deceased, are available yet.

A vehicle, not a motorcycle, hit a pedestrian at 4th Street and South College Avenue. A man suffered a broken leg. No name or other details are available yet.

Sgt. Bill Phelan reports everyone was fairly well-behaved during the third day of BBB but arrests picked up after dark. Three disturbances were reported at bars, no one was injured. Eight rally-goers were arrested for being drunk in public and one was arrested for disorderly conduct. Two were arrested for having a controlled substance.

About a dozen folks were arrested or cited for DUI in the city.

Two motorcycles were stolen, one was found. And someone drove off in a golf cart that doesn’t belong to him.

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Jody Collins of Tulsa and Terri Miller of Fayetteville unpack a Harley-Davidson Tri-Glide after a demonstration ride on Thursday. Collins, who used to work for a custom trike builder, wanted to check out the new factory-built trike model. Photo by J.T. Wampler The Morning News

The daily e-mail briefing from festival organizers claims attendance after one day is “up significantly.”

The big events for today include:
• The Allman Brothers Band concert tonight at the Tyson Track Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are still on sale. People can buy tickets at the BBB HQ at the Walton Arts Center.
• The Tyson Peoples Choice BBQ Contest will be held at the track center. There are 3,000 tasting kits available for $5 each. People will get to try some of the best BBQ in the world and vote on their favorite.  Tasting and voting start at 6:30 p.m.
• The Blues Train service begins today between Dickson Street and The Tyson Track Center, 3:15 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. This is the first year for the train, which holds 240 people. Organizers hope it will take some of the vehicle traffic on the roads.

Photos by The Morning News’ J.T. Wampler

By Charles Huggins
The Morning News

FAYETTEVILLE — The blues is a powerful vehicle that strikes a chord in fans with honest lyrics and wailing guitar hooks, cutting to the core of human emotion.

Or to put it more simply, “The blues is here to stay, man,” said Warren Haynes, guitarist with The Allman Brothers Band who will take the stage Friday night as headliners of the 2008 Bikes, Blues & BBQ.
Local band Union Reaux started the festivities Wednesday at the Coors Light Main Stage on Dickson Street with their brand of classic rock, country and blues. As the sun set, the crowd grew, and the blues was on full display.

Ocie Fisher and the Hipp Dogs quickly got the crowd on its feet. The band ran through the entire gamut of human emotion as Fisher belted out classic blues standards such as B.B. King’s “Rock Me Baby” and “Chain of Fools” by Aretha Franklin with her vibrant, sultry voice.

“I had the blues for a while, but I got through it,” Fisher said before the show. “I like to sing ’bout real stuff, where you can feel it. The blues makes you cry and makes you happy all at once.”

Following the Hipp Dogs was one of three musical offerings from Gary Hutchison, a familiar face who has performed at the rally since its inception nine years ago. This time, Hutchison is playing in one of two solo projects, in addition to wielding huge chops for Oreo Blue.

“One of the things we enjoy about (Bikes, Blues & BBQ) is the community of bands getting together backstage. It’s fun hanging out with them and talking music,” Hutchison said. “I love it, but it’s always an exhausting weekend.”

More …

By Dan Craft
The Morning News

FAYETTEVILLE — Bikes, Blues & BBQ might as well be renamed Work, Work and More Work for some local residents.

Rally director Nelson Driver, the only paid employee, puts in part-time hours setting up the rally most of the year, but has been working long weeks for at least a month. He also has to teach business classes at the University of Arkansas, and try to keep up with insurance consulting clients.

“I like to say I have three part-time jobs,” Driver said. “Right now, one of them just became more than full-time.”

Others simply put in more hours at their regular job. Dennis Fields has seen plenty of busy nights as general manager of Jose’s, but major problems usually get turned over to his boss, owner Neal Crawford. Crawford, however, serves on the rally’s board of directors, and has other duties during the rally.

“We might see him for an hour a day. The rest of the time, it’s all on us,” Fields said. “He’s out there running around, and we’ve got to deal with whatever comes up. It’s usually not bad until you yell for last call. That’s when things start to get a little crazy.”

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FAYETTEVILLE — There was nowhere else to go.

Darrell Slaughter dumped his blue-and-white Harley over on its left side and slid into the car that turned in front of him.

The driver never saw him coming, and Slaughter had the blue lights flashing and the siren wailing when the car pulled into the path of the Fayetteville police corporal.

Slaughter walked away, but two years later had surgery to repair his injured back.

“Most drivers aren’t looking for bike shapes on the road,” Slaughter said. “If people pull out in front of me when I’ve got the lights and siren going, they’re going to turn out in front of you, too.”

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ZAC LEHR THE MORNING NEWS Fred Nash, of Pierce City, Missouri, looks at motorcycles Tuesday during Bike Night at Jose

SPRINGDALE – When the parking lot’s full of Hondas, Harleys and the occasional Husquevarna, it must be bike night.

Every Tuesday when the weather is good, Jose’s Southwest Grill in Springdale turns into an outdoor showroom for motorcycles of every conceivable type. Riders eat, drink, listen to bands and check out each other’s bikes. It’s like a car show where everybody left a couple of wheels at home.

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Audio Clip

Power pop meets indie in this local band short on the blues but long on energy-packed performances.

Main Stage     Sept. 25 — 6 p.m.

Jagermeister  Stage Sept. 26 — 5 p.m.