The downtown Urbana area was filled with people enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes on Friday and Saturday for the Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival.

The downtown Urbana area was filled with people enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes on Friday and Saturday for the Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival. The festival featured nationally renowned blues artists, local barbecue restaurants and family oriented activities.

This year’s theme was “The Next Generation,” said Jeff Grant, owner of Fluid Events, which presented the festival.

“I always think of sci-fi movies when I hear 2010, so we thought, ‘What is the future of blues?’” Grant said. “The next generation (of artists) is the future of blues.”

The band line-up included children of past blues greats such as John Lee Hooker Jr. and Wayne Barker Brooks.

Grant said he began booking bands and planning the weekend nearly a year ago in early July to create an event that catered to a diverse crowd. The result was guests from several states and even another country.

“We are on track to double the attendance from last year,” Grant said Saturday morning, crediting the hot weather for the large turnout. “People can get out and drink some beer and eat some good food.”

Festival-goers said came out for a number of reasons.

Wayne and Cynthia Faulkner came to enjoy the free music. After listening to the blues Friday, they went early Saturday to put their chairs right in front of the stage before a mass of people accumulated.

“We set out our chairs at 11:20 a.m. and are planning to stay all day,” Cynthia Faulkner said. The Faulkners drove to Urbana this week from Canada just to attend the blues festival.

“I love listening to the blues,” Wayne said. “It’s one of my favorite things to do.”

Champaign resident Roman Sarabi, 8, came with his family to play on the action inflatables.

“It’s kind of dangerous,” said Sarabi of the action inflatable resembling a climbing wall. “My favorites are the boat because it freaks me out, and the Illini Slide and the climbing wall.”

The Sarabi’s went to the festival early Friday and Saturday to avoid the heat..

“My husband tried some pulled pork and he loved it,” Diana Sarabi,i Roman’s mother, said.

Vendors began preparation for the festival early Saturday after a busy Friday.

“I’m exhausted,” said George Dries, owner of Bobo’s Barbecue, 505 S. Chestnut. “We need to start smoking the beef at five in the morning.”

This was the first year for Bobo’s to join the festival as a vendor, but Dries now plans to participate every year.

Bobo’s was only one of several vendors at the fest this weekend, which Grant said an estimated 12,000 people attended on opening day.

“Hopefully the Blues Festival is benefiting all of the vendors at the event,” Grant said.

In the case of Bobo’s, Grant’s hopes may have been fulfilled.

Dries said he believes the festival brings awareness to blues and likes the atmosphere it creates as a result of being family-oriented.

“It gives exposure to products … and increases business,” Dries said. “I met a lot of great people yesterday.”