How does craft beer and barbecue sound?

The annual Rock’n Brews and BBQ Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Boise Spectrum, 7701 W. Overland Road. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It’s really more than a barbecue and beer festival, though. The event is essentially the Idaho state barbecue championship, with the winner moving on to the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue competition this October in Lynchburg, Tenn.

The barbecue competition, officially sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society, will feature more than 20 teams from around the region competing in four categories: ribs (St. Louis-style and baby back), chicken (breast, legs and thighs), pulled pork and brisket.

The local barbecue teams include Spuds BBQ Co. (Joe Wollman), Twisted Blue Smoke (Ryan Patterson), Owyhee BBQ (David Harrington), Patio Daddio BBQ (John Dawson), Crooked Pigs BBQ (Matt Hanson) and many more.

Admission to the event is free and the competitors will be selling samples of their barbecue throughout the day.

And for the beer part of the equation? A dozen or so local craft breweries will be there from noon to 4 p.m. pouring lots of handcrafted beers. Beer tasting tickets cost $20 at rocknbrewsandbbq.com prior to the event, or $30 at the door.

This year’s participating breweries include Slanted Rock, Powderhaus, Woodland Empire, Bear Island, Crescent, Grand Teton, Mad Swede and Payette, to name a few.

And yes, there’s also live music. The entertainment lineup includes classic rockers The 504 Plan, The Voltz and The Carlos Danger Band.

Williamson Vineyards winemaker’s dinner

Make reservations soon if you plan to attend Williamson Orchards and Vineyards’ winemaker’s dinner on Friday, Sept. 22. It will take place at the winery, 14807 Sunnyslope Road, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

It’s been six years since the popular Caldwell winery has done such a dinner. For $75 per person (includes tax and gratuity), you can enjoy a five-course dinner cooked by Aaron Horsewood. Each course will be paired with a select wine from Williamson Vineyards.

For tickets, call the winery at 208-459-7333 or go to eventbrite.com/e/williamson-orchards-vineyards-winemakers-dinner-tickets-36519016361.

Stomp some grapes at Crossings

Mark your calendars for Sept. 16-17. That’s when Crossings Winery, 1289 W. Madison Ave. in Glenns Ferry, will host its annual Grape Stomp Festival. It’s slated from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. that Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. that Sunday.

The festival ($10 general admission, $20 with a commemorative wine glass and wine tasting) celebrates the grape harvest with a bevy of fun activities, including wine tasting, live music, food and grape-stomping contests. Festivalgoers will be able to get burgers, hot dogs, bratwursts and popcorn outside. Those who want a full meal can go inside to the restaurant and order from the regular menu.

No advance tickets are available for the event; just show up and pay at the gate.

Crossings Winery recently garnered some serious accolades. It was voted the 2017 Idaho Winery of the Year by Wine Press Northwest, a leading Washington-based magazine.

Online: crossingswinery.com.

This story was originally published August 31, 2017 at 2:02 PM with the headline "How does craft beer and barbecue sound?."