WIN TIX to Oskar Blues food truck fest at REEB Ranch in Brevard on April 16

Leave a comment on this blog post (scroll down, and I mean ALL THE WAY DOWN to find the comment field) and you’ll be entered to win two tickets to the Oskar Blues Brewery Loaded Up and Truckin’ Food Truck-Off and Aural Pleasure Fest on April 16. The event is at the brewery’s REEB Ranch in Brevard. It will feature Shovels & Rope, camping and a ton of fun. More:

Oskar Blues Brewery is going to get you trucked up this spring. The canned craft beer originator is bringing the inaugural Loaded Up and Truckin’ Food Truck-Off and Aural Pleasure Fest, a local food truck throwdown and music festival, to the 140-acre Oskar Blues REEB Ranch located on the Henderson/Transylvania county line. The festival pops off on April 16 and features the best food trucks the region has to offer, an ace lineup of kick-ass bands, and more fresh, craft beer than even makes sense.

Oskar Blues, now known primarily for its boundary-destroying craft beers in cans, has deep foodie roots. The original funky little brewpub, Oskar Blues Grill & Brew, which started the craft beer in a can movement still operates in Lyons, Colorado serving up down home food with fresh ingredients, live music and a family atmosphere. Oskar Blues Fooderies, under head chef Jason Rogers, now includesHomemade Liquids and Solids (American food with southern roots), CHUBurger (craft casual burgers), and CYCLHOPS (bike cantina). OB brought their food culture to their second home in North Carolina and operates theCHUBwagon food truck, an extension of the CHUBurger concept, serving up great eats at the Brevard brewery.

What is a “Truck Off?” Loaded Up and Truckin’ brings together eighteen regional food trucks-an impossible collection of the best food on wheels. In addition to their full menus, each truck will serve a special menu item for festival goers who purchase a ‘judges ticket.’ These lucky S.O.B.s will get the exclusive chance to cram eighteen different, one-of-a-kind mobile kitchen creations in their faces. Once all judge-able dishes have been tasted, the people’s court will preside over the judgment of the Truck-Off Grand Champion. Not into passing judgement? Ageneral admission ticket will also be available so you can still boogie to the tunes and purchase whatever food and drink you want with no pressure. Full menus from each food truck will be available for purchase and Oskar Blues will bring all the beers…all of them. Camping will be available at the festival. Food? Beer? Camping? Check.

The festival also boasts a genre-spanning lineup, headlined by Charleston, SC folk-rock duo, Shovels & Rope. Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent are a musical power-couple who Rolling Stone has praised for “…a sound that fuses the rhythmic scrappiness and renegade spirit of punk rock with the narrative content and porch-pickin’ bones of American roots -and a bit of blues thrown in for good measure…” The band is renowned for their raucous live show that, according to NPR, is the perfect showcase for their “chemistry and ramshackle playfulness.” Athens, GA based rockers, Futurebirds, bring with them their unique brand of southern psych-rock. Festival-circuit veterans, Danger Muffin, are also loading up and heading to the REEB Ranch. The Americana roots-rock trio have crisscrossed the country for eight years and been hailed by Relix Magazine as “a trio with immense talent and potential that has gifted songwriting and playing abilities in spades.” Aaron Burdett, Sally and George (Joel Timmons of Sol Driven Train and Shelby Means formerly of Della Mae) and Pretty Little Goat round out the lineup.

Tickets and schedule information for the Loaded Up and Truckin’ Food Truck Off and Aural Pleasure Fest can be found online at loadedupandtruckin.com. General admission tickets are $30 and include admission into the site for the music and access to all the food trucks. Think you’ve got what it takes to choose the best food truck? A judge’s ticket is $60 and includes admission to the site, a free small-plate from each truck, and a ballot to make your vote count for the truck off. In addition, tent camping tickets are available for $15/per person. A limited number of creek-side car-camping spots are available for $100 (max of four people per spot). The Oskar Blues trolley will be shuttling festival-goers to and from the brewery and downtown Brevard.
Food Truck Lineup:
Oskar Blues CHUBwagon
Amazing Pizza Co.
Appalachian Chic
Appalachian Smoke BBQ
Blue Smoke BBQ
Smash Box Mobile Kitchen
El Kimchi
Melt Your Heart
The Real Food Truck
Farm to Fender
Root Down
Grateful Roots
Gypsy Queen
Doc Brown’s BBQ
Chameleon Catering + Mobile Food Co.
Underground Baking Co.
Out of The Blue Peruvian Fusion Cuisine
Vieux Carre