The annual Long Beach BBQ Festival will be bringing food, drinks and music your way from August 16-18. Come on down to the Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach for a weekend full of unlimited BBQ options, music (including country band Grand Junction and line dance instructor A.J. Gibbs) and children’s entertainment. Tickets are on sale online for only $13; just go to longbeachbbqfestival.com.
 
Of course, the festival offers classic barbecued meats like ribs, chicken, pulled pork, tri-tip and sausage. But in honor of the beloved festival, we’ve put together a list of other foods that you never even knew you could barbeque.
 
Romaine Lettuce
They’re easy to make and healthy as well. All you have to do is cut a head of lettuce into quarters, brush each with some olive oil and put them directly on the grill. Once the grill marks start to appear, take the lettuce off the barbecue and sprinkle some vinegar, blue cheese and even bacon bits on top. Is your mouth watering yet?
 
Bananas
Another strange but delicious barbeque option is a banana. To grill this fruit, cut open a banana length-wise but do not completely separate the slices. This should leave you with a crevice in the middle of the banana. Leave the banana in its peel and first grill it for two minutes crevice-side down. Then flip it over and stuff the crevice with any of the following tasty treats: chocolate chips, Nutella, marshmallows, graham crackers, brown sugar or cinnamon. Grill the banana crevice-side up for five minutes and then enjoy this heavenly creation.
 
Watermelon
Watermelon is often served at summertime barbeques, so why not actually barbeque it? First, cut a watermelon into one-inch-thick slices and slather them in olive oil, onion, salt and pepper. Grill each side for about five minutes, until each side has an almost meaty texture. For those vegetarians who are missing the taste of a nice hamburger, put the watermelon on a bun, add some cheese and you have a delicious “watermelon burger.”
 
Cheese
Barbecued cheese is a perfect appetizer for any dinner party. To avoid making a mess on the grill, use thick slices of halloumi or aged provolone. Cover the cheese in olive oil and stick them right on the grill. For halloumi, each side will need about four minutes, while aged provolone will only need one minute per side. Serve this quick dish with crackers or flavored preserves.
 
Cake
Grilled pound cake or angel food is a delicious way to end a meal. You can buy pre-made pound cake or angel food and cut it into one-inch-think-slices. Butter both sides and barbecue for about two minutes per side. Once they’ve grilled, top them with fruit, ice cream or chocolate sauce.
 
Of course, if you would rather just enjoy a nice barbecue without actually having to cook, be sure to stop by the Long Beach BBQ Festival.

The Long Beach BBQ Festival takes place Aug.16-18 at Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach at 300 Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, Calif., 90802. Tickets start at $13 and can be purchased only online until Aug. 15. After Aug.15, tickets can be purchased at the VIP Rib Village Entrance onsite. For all the info and to purchase tickets, visit longbeachbbqfestival.com.