PERDIDO KEY, Fla. — Kayak races, barbecue cook-offs, live blues music, fireworks and extreme water sports will be some of the highlights of a festival Aug. 31.

Organizers hope to make the Kayak, Barbeque and Blues Festival an annual event and will offer two-mile and four-mile kayak races, with cash prizes for winners of the Battle of the Paddle on Perdido Key.

Live music includes a performance by the Blues Brothers Soul Band, voted the most authentic replica of the “Blues Brothers” band of John Belushi/Dan Ackroyd fame.

The BBQ cook-off will be a culinary showdown, with top chefs collecting prizes, too.

Other attractions include a fly board demonstration of a performer completing a night flight in a lighted suit. Fly board, the cutting edge of extreme water sports, works on a water propulsion system which allows the rider to fly in the air and to go underwater.

The demonstration will be done by Powerup Watersports of Destin. (Here’s an example of what they do: http://youtube .com/watch?v=09GpFcU5Ssk)

The event starts with kayak races at 9 a.m. Aug. 31 and goes until 8:30 p.m., when a Pyrotechnico fireworks display will set off close to 400 shells. The festival is based at Galvez Landing off Innerarity Point Road. The cook-off will be at Hub Stacey’s at the Point, 5851 Galvez Road, overlooking Galvez Landing.

The Blues Brothers Soul Band, a rhythm and blues tribute band, will bring the crowd to its feet with renditions of music by the Temptations, James Brown, Aretha Franklin and more. In addition, two popular local blues groups will perform: The Lucky Doggs and Big Muddy.

Larry T. Wilson and Big Muddy (www.myspace.com /larrytwilson ) will start the music at 11 a.m. and perform until 2 p.m., followed by Johnny Barbato and the Lucky Doggs (http://johnnybarbato .com/) from 2:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.

Blues Brothers Soul Band (http://www.bluesbrotherssoulband.com/) will keep the fans dancing until the fireworks get underway at 8:30 p.m.

Learn more at www.visitperdido.com.

Perdido Key is a land of snow-white beaches, crystal-blue waters, wide-open stretches of pristine nature off-limits to development, and a smorgasbord of mom-and-pop bars and restaurants, the way Florida used to be. It’s a barrier island between Pensacola and Orange Beach. It’s 16 miles long, with almost 60 percent located in federal or state parks – making it one of the best places to visit. For more information visit: www.visitperdido.com.