CONNOQUENESSING TWP — Butler County will host the sounds of classic rock and the spicy smell of barbecue ribs this weekend at the first Rib and Music Fest.

The festival will be from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Butler Farm Show grounds. Live music from tribute bands playing Van Morrison, Def Leppard and more will be featured.

The fest organizers and the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau also invited cooks from the reality television show “Pitmasters,” that aired on TLC between 2009 to 2010 before moving to Destination America between 2012 until its finale in 2015.

Festival goers will be invited to vote on their favorite ribs. Admission is free, however, paid parking will be available.

“People of Butler like ribs. There’s no rib fest up there,” said Sal Richetti of Pittsburgh, who is organizing the event along with the tourism bureau. “We’re trying to find something that maybe the community would like and partake in. Depending on how well it’s attended, we’ll do it again. We’d love to get 10,000 people there. It’s free.”

Richetti noted that since the festival will fall on the same weekend as Father’s Day, the event will have family friendly attractions like bounce houses.

Jack Cohen, tourism bureau president, said that the Rib and Music Fest is part of the organization’s effort to hold regular summer events.

“Look at what’s going on with the Jeep weekend. Then we have the Rib and Music Festival. Then we have something else. Then something else. The county is so special,” Cohen said. “We’ve got something going on everything weekend. Every week there’s something special.

“And that’s why people love living here. What a gift.”