Pulled pork sliders from Wild Iris. Photo courtesy of Sammy Bredar

After the event, The National Provisioner spoke with Richard Peltier, Rotary president, who discussed the goals, impact and future of the annual fundraiser. Peltier said the Blues, Brews and BBQ event first began 21 years ago through Mike Dexter and a small group of Crown Point Rotary members, also known as Rotarians.

Kenny Kinsey with the group Funky Mojo Daddy, performing at the 2025 Blues, Brews and BBQ event. Photo courtesy of Rick Peltier

While brainstorming ways to support their community, the Rotarians came up with the idea for Blues, Brews and BBQ. "At the time, there weren't a lot of nonprofit events or any kind of events in the community that focused on blues music. Everybody, for the most part, likes barbecue," Peltier said. "It's a big draw for most people, I think. And who doesn't like a cold brew to wash down the barbecue while you're listening to music?"

Barbecue vendors participate in the event for free, keeping 100% of their profits. The Blues, Brews and BBQ event in Crown Point, Ind., was the first of its kind, and has since inspired other Blues, Brews and BBQ events around the country. 

While the Rotarians initially just hoped to break even with the first iterations of the event, Blues, Brews and BBQ is now seeing great financial returns from its annual event. "Every year for the past five years, we have grown the number of sponsorships. Every year we set a new record," Peltier said. This year, the event raised a record $52,100 in sponsorships.

These funds will support various local and global initiatives, including the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Shoes for Kids program with Shoe Carnival, St. Jude House for domestic violence survivors, and several food insecurity programs, such as the Food Bank of NW Indiana, Community Health Network Buddy Bags and Franciscan Health Foundation. The funds also support the Rotary Foundation's national and global projects, including polio eradication efforts and providing medical equipment to disaster-struck regions.

Looking ahead, the Crown Point Rotary hopes to continue breaking records by growing attendance and sponsorships in the coming years.

The Crown Point Rotary’s Blues, Brews and BBQ event provided a daylong platform for local barbecue vendors to connect with the Northwest Indiana community and showcase their best barbecue offerings, all while supporting community improvement. By combining meat, music and charitable efforts, the event consistently demonstrates the vital role of regional gatherings in promoting consumer awareness of local meat, all while connecting meat businesses with their community members. Enthusiastic participation from the two vendors and attendees reflects ongoing interest in barbecue and highlights opportunities for meat businesses to engage with consumers outside of traditional retail and foodservice channels.