Residents and visitors can enjoy music from country band Ricochet, local steak and barbecue at his year’s Roanoke Round Up on May 4.

The 9th annual Roanoke Round Up begins at noon and ends at 9 p.m. in downtown Roanoke. The proceeds from the event will be donated to Guns & Hoses—a non profit benefiting families of fallen police officers and firefighters—and Texas Motor Speedway Children’s charities. Although the event is free, guests who choose to donate can scan one of the QR codes throughout the event.

“Working with the special events team and seeing all of the love and passion that goes into [Roanoke Round Up]...I've been encouraging my family friends to come and visit and enjoy it because it's going to be a good day,” said Communications and Marketing Administrator Carissa Katekaru.

The steak cookoff competition begins at 10 a.m. with local chefs and residents competing for a cash prize and bragging rights. The event will also feature a barbecue pitmaster tasting competition beginning at noon. Guests can purchase tickets for $20 each and sample delicious barbeque while supporting local charities.

The event will feature several kid-centered activities, such as a petting zoo, an arts and crafts station and bounce houses.

“We pride ourselves on hosting these outstanding events that are family friendly that bring families together in a fun and safe environment,” Katekaru said.

Oak Street will be blocked off during the event so attendees and their families can explore Oak Street without worrying about traffic.

Katekaru said hosting Roanoke Round Up in downtown Roanoke gives the city a chance to highlight its dining scene. Roanoke is known as “the unique dining capital of Texas”, and event attendees are encouraged to check out the city’s local restaurants before or after the event.

Some of Roanoke’s unique restaurants include Board & Brie, Craft & Vine Taproom and Eatery, Foster’s, Hot Taco, The Classic at Roanoke and Mug’s Cafe and Bakery.

Event attendees can also look forward to several musical performances. Katekaru said the event’s headliner will be country band Ricochet. The band has won a Country Music Award and been nominated for three. They have also been nominated for a Billboard Music Award.

“We're really excited to welcome them,” Katekaru said.

Ricochet will be on the main stage in the evening, but throughout the day, there will be additional local entertainment. The city is partnering with 99.5 The Wolf, who will be doing some broadcasting live from the event.

In addition, the city is partnering with Stand Ministries to host a voice competition during Roanoke Round Up.

“We're very excited about that partnership,” Katekaru said. “It's always really fun to see local talent get some time on the stage.”

One thing for event attendees to keep in mind is May 4 is also election day, so some parking lots downtown will be for voters only.

“It's very, very important to make sure you take a look at the parking map before you come,” Katekaru said. “We will have some handicap-accessible only lots open for community members and we do have a lot of lots sprinkled along the outer edges of Oak Street and south of City Hall.”

Roanoke residents and visitors can find more information about Roanoke Round Up on the city’s website.

“Hosting an event like this that gets people out and meeting neighbors and interacting with friends—that remains our top priority,” Katekaru said.

The above story was produced by Multi-platform Journalist Mary Katherine Shapiro with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.