The rhythm is definitely “gonna get you” this weekend in the Vero Beach area. The Vero Beach Blues & BBQ Festival makes its debut Feb. 12-13 at the Indian River County Fairgrounds. This is the event where you put aside those resolutions to diet and plunge whole hog into the incredible barbecue and more served up southern style by a host of vendors. Said vendors will also be selling cold adult beverages including beer and full liquor bar selections. There will be a full roster of musical artists hitting the stage all during the festival. Saturday’s lineup begins 11:30 a.m. and includes David Julia, Z-Tones Band, Ellie Lee Band, J.P. Soars, the Joel DeSilva Band, the Eric Culberson Band and Selwyn Birchwood, who takes the stage at 8:15 p.m. Rolling Stone magazine hailed Birchwood as “a remarkable, contemporary bluesman … a powerhouse.” Sunday’s lineup begins at 11:15 a.m. and includes the Front Porch Blues Band, the Blues Crusaders, Joe Survival Caruso and the Dave Scott Band, which takes the stage at 3:30 p.m. There will also be arts and crafts vendors on hand, as organizers say to “expect the unexpected.” Admission to the festival is $5 per person. You can purchase them at the gate with cash or credit card. Children 12 years of age and younger are admitted free. Parking is free. The Vero Beach Blues & BBQ Festival runs 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13 at the Indian River County Fairgrounds, 7955 58th Ave., Vero Beach. For more information, call 772-492-6105 or visit VeroBluesFest.com.
The Indian River Symphonic Association presents the Russian National Orchestra, which will be performing as the Palm Beach Symphony, on Thursday in Vero Beach. The concert will feature works by Russian composers. It will be led by Maestro Gerard Schwarz and feature pianist William Wolfram, who will play Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18. Also on the program is Lyadov’s Kikimora, Op. 63 and Shostakovitch’s Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47. The concert begins 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, at the Community Church of Vero Beach, 1901 23rd St. Tickets are $85. Call 772-778-1070 or visit IRSymphonic.org.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you might want to make plans to take those loved ones to the Valentine Pops Concert this Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Community Church of Vero Beach. The concert features soprano Rachel Carter Murphy and the Festival Pops Orchestra performing romantic works of Bernstein, Lahar, Guettel, Puccini, Menotti, Horner and the Beatles. The conductor is Andrew Galuska, the church’s director of music and fine arts. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Community Church of Vero Beach, 1901 23rd St. Tickets are $25 at the door. Masks are recommended regardless of vaccination status. For more information, call 772-562-3633 or visit CCoVB.org.
Sink back into some great rock and roll when the Hit Men take the stage Thursday, Feb. 10, at the Emerson Center. The musicians are all the actual performers who played with groups like Foreigner, Journey, Styx, the Hooters, Steely Dan, Cheap Trick, the Rascals, Alan Parsons, Three Dog Night, Cream, Grand Funk and even the Who. This is a multi-media concert so expect it to be a lot of fun as musicians share memories about rock history. The Hit Men group has been recognized by the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville and received its inaugural “Road Warriors Award.” It is presented by Live! from Vero Beach. It begins 7 p.m. at the Emerson Center, 1590 27th Ave., Vero Beach. Tickets are $35 to $80. For more information, call 800-595-4849 or visit MusicWorksConcerts.com.
The 12th Annual Motor Car Exhibition will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12 at the McKee Botanical Gardens. There will be 40 amazing cars on display throughout the garden. They include a rare 1958 Ferrari California Spyder, a 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale and a 1984 Ferrari BB 512i. You can see all these with your regular ticket to the gardens. Tickets are $15 general, $13 for seniors 65 years and older, $13 for children 13 to 17 years of age, $10 for children 2 to 12 years of age, and free to children younger than two. The McKee Botanical Garden is at 350 U.S. 1, Vero Beach. Call 772-794-0601 or visit McKeeGarden.org.
