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Roots "N" Blues "N" Barbecue Festival returns for 5th year

The Roots “N” Blues “N” Barbeque Festival is returning for its fifth year next week. Downtown businesses now know what to expect during the festival and how to prepare financially. Sub Shop General Manager Scott Schulte says one of the concert stages is in their parking lot and that always helps business.

“It almost doubles are business for the day; we have a concert that usually helps bring in more people also," Schulte says.

But other businesses are not so lucky. Déjà vu Managing Partner Matt Istwan says he's found a way to draw people in.

”Over the years to move our business out on our parking lot basically creating an entire beer garden on our parking lot  teaming up with some food vendors," Istwan says. "And the fact that you can hear the festival and the sights and the sounds  right there flat branch from the lot we’ve enjoyed success right there on the parking lot.”

To make up for those losses, Istwan hosts a beer garden open to the public in Déjà vu’s parking lot. He says this normally keeps him closer to even for the weekend..