VAN HOOK – The North Dakota Petroleum Foundation (NDPF) will host its 11th Annual Bakken Rocks CookFest at Van Hook on Thursday, July 18, according to a news release.

Held twice each summer in two communities in oil and gas producing areas, the Bakken Rocks CookFest offers area residents the opportunity to get out and learn more about the oil and gas industry, meet some of its players, attend an information session where they can listen to and visit with the experts of the industry and enjoy an afternoon and evening of food and music.

The Van Hook event starts with Bakken basics information and Q&A session from 2-4 p.m. at the Big Fish Park Pavilion at the Van Hook Resort, eight miles east of New Town. The agenda includes a tribal update from White Shield East Segment Councilman Fred Fox; a Bakken outlook and regulatory update from Lynn Helms, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources; a discussion on drilling, production and well integrity from Helms; and an update on transportation of Bakken crude from Justin Kringstad, director of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority.

Food and music are planned from 4-7 p.m. in Van Hook’s American Legion Park. Twenty teams are slated to serve free barbecue, making it one of the largest CookFests to date. Dave Diffely will provide live entertainment throughout the evening, At 6:45 p.m. awards will be presented to the Van Hook Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice champions.

A Bakken Rocks CookFest will also be held in Bowman on Tuesday, July 16, beginning at the Bowman Lodge and Convention’s Young Room with a Bakken basics information and Q&A from 2-4 p.m. MDT, followed by food and music from 4-7 p.m. MDT.

Both events will include activities for kids, including the Gateway to Science Mobile Exhibit, the Mule Deer Foundation’s youth shooting range and a bouncehouse. Both events are free and open to the public.

This year’s events are expected to attract about 2,500 people between the two events, with many people traveling from surrounding communities and counties to take in the event.

“We get requests from communities years in advance to host CookFest in their towns because it’s such a fun event,” said Tessa Sandstrom, director of NDPF Community Relations. “We encourage anyone who wants to learn more about the industry or wants to visit with some of the companies operating in their towns or who simply wants some great food to visit us in Bowman and Van Hook this year.”