Great Escape: Get a Taste of Real Deal BBQ

Escape the heat and go to Santa Monica this weekend for some finger-lickin' kick-your-boots-up fun at the Third Annual L.A. BBQ Festival, sponsored by DrinkEatPlay. This three-day food extravaganza will take you through Texas, Kansas City, Chicago and Santa Maria when some of the nation's best barbecue joints descend on the Santa Monica Pier, beginning Friday.

It's an all-inclusive eat and drink barbecue for $60 per person (per day). That means no digging in your pocket for more money; everything is included. Indulge in regional specialties, including tri-tip, beef brisket, pulled pork, sausage, Kansas City- and Memphis-style ribs, sliders varieties of coleslaw, baked beans and pig candy (thick slabs of peppered bacon coated with dark brown sugar and maple syrup). Dessert selections include banana pudding, red velvet cupcakes and root-beer floats. There will also be more than 30 beers on tap to wash it all down.

Serenading this food fest will be daily entertainment by some rockin' tribute and cover bands: Ticket to Ride, Country Gone Awry, Petty Cash, Sgt. Pepper and Black Crystal Wolf Kids.

The festival is broken up into three-hour sessions each day: Friday, 4:30-7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 4-7 p.m.  A percentage of the proceeds goes to noahs-bark.org.

For tickets, go to: labbqfest.eventbrite.com. For information about the festival, see: bbqfest.com.