Big public events are back, and there's one coming to Watonga this weekend.
But it's not the storied and long-running Cheese Festival — at least not yet. This weekend's block party will be the very first Bikes & BBQ Rally on the streets of downtown Watonga.
As its name implies, the rally will involve motorcycles, food, entertainment, vendors and more. Organizer John Morris said he thought of the idea with another biker who agreed there weren't enough public rallies for bikers in northwest Oklahoma.
"There's really nothing in northwestern Oklahoma of this sort," Morris told the Watonga Republican. "We thought with as many bikes as come through Watonga on nice days, we wanted to... bring something that would bring them into town, and not just ride through town."
The Bikes & BBQ Rally has no entry fee and will feature live music and entertainment. On Friday, the fun starts at noon and Jack Pearson will take the stage to perform at 2 p.m., followed by the Katie Ballew Band at 5 p.m.
Cale Lester will take the stage on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., followed by Oklahoma comedian Marty Johnson at 4. Woodward band Trench Monkey will headline the rally on Saturday at 5 p.m.
The rally will also feature a poker run on Saturday with stops in Watonga, Canton, Longdale and Okeene. The run is $15 per rider and $10 per passenger; registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and the bikes will hit the road by 10.
Morris said he wants the rally to benefit the "county as a whole."
"That's why we did the bike ride the way we did," he said. "It basically stays in Blaine County."
Morris said the rally is still accepting entries for its barbecue competition, which will be a licensed Kansas City Barbeque Society event. "It's not a points event, but it's an actual licensed KCBS event," Morris said. Attendees will vote on a "People's Choice" winner among various categories of barbecue.
Morris said he hopes the rally will be a good showcase for Watonga and highlight its history beyond the cheese.
"I'm excited for it. I'm ready to see how many people show up, because we have a large following online, and I'm getting questions about it daily. I'm pretty sure we're going to have quite a few people in Watonga."