As summer temperatures rise and the heavy Iowa air hangs on our already sweaty bodies, students presumably become weary of their classes and jobs. It’s a perfect time for the 8th Annual BBQ Roundup to kick off today in Cedar Rapids!

The festival spotlights some of the country’s best touring BBQ vendors. This year, 11 vendors from around the country will compete for a grand prize of $11,000 in cash. Every festival goer is encouraged to stop in the novelties booth to vote for their favorite vendor to win the cash prize and a People’s Choice Award. These votes, along with a panel of judges, will help make the delicious decision.

Aside from pork ribs and BBQ, sweet corn, potato salad, baked beans, watermelon, Piglet Punch, snow cones, beer and lots of other summertime favorites will be featured to satisfy and refresh appetites of all ages. Christy Hemmer, marketing assistant at the Five Seasons Center, is hoping to top last year’s attendance, which hit 35,000, and so far things are looking bright.

The barbecue begins today and continues through June 25, beginning each day at 11 a.m. and ending at 11 p.m. While you’re feasting, you can jam the day and night away to the entertaining lineup provided, including a karaoke contest, Scarlet Runner — a teenage band with a Stevie Ray Vaughn sound — and Fergie Frederikson (former lead singer of Toto) and much more.

The cover charge to see the bands is as simple as wearing around a $1 Freedom Festival button, which will also make you eligible to register to win a pair of round-trip tickets to anywhere in the continental U.S., courtesy of Northwest Airlines. You can eat fantastic BBQ, hang out with your friends alongside live music and take advantage of Friday’s 5 to 7 p.m. Happy Hour ($1 draws!), which is cheaper than any entertainment this side of the cornfield.

This four-day festival is located directly south of the Five Seasons Center between 1st and 2nd Avenue and 3rd and 4th Street. Make sure you grab some friends or loved ones and check it out. After all, Cedar Rapids is only two hours away.