POWERS LAKE, ND HOSTS THE BAKKEN ROCKS COOKFEST ON JULY 16

POWERS LAKE, N.D. – The 18th Annual Bakken Rocks CookFest is bringing its festivities to Powers Lake, ND, on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Held each summer in the oil patch, the Bakken Rocks CookFest offers 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 best of all, eat some of the best BBQ available in western North Dakota.

The CookFest has been a hallmark event of the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation since 2009. Since then, the event has hosted more than 28,000 people in 27 different communities throughout western North Dakota.

“The Bakken Rocks CookFest is more than just a BBQ—it’s a celebration of the communities that power North Dakota’s energy future,” said Ron Ness, CEO of the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation. “We had a CookFest in Powers Lake in 2013, and we’re proud to return to this great community again, as there is lots of oil drilling and production happening in this area of the state.  This event brings families, friends, and industry partners together for a day of connection, conversation, and community pride.  We are proud to share that our industry is celebrating a new milestone this year, 75 years of oil production in North Dakota.”

According to Ness, the event consistently attracts 800 to 1,200 attendees annually, with many traveling long distances from neighboring communities and counties to take part in the festivities.

Oil and gas companies will serve ribs, brisket, barbecue, and more to earn the People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice titles. The oil and natural gas companies cooking this year include Balon Valves – ONEOK, Bell Supply Company – Badlands Contracting, Chevron, Chord Energy, ConocoPhillips, Continental Resources, Creedence Energy Services – Phoenix Energy, Devon Energy, Enbridge, ExxonMobil, GO Wireline, Kraken Resources, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, 1^st International Bank & Trust – Mineral Tracker, Nabors, Well Werks Energy, and Wescom Inc.

The event starts at 2 PM CT, with the Bakken Basics Education Session, held indoors at the Powers Lake School.  At 4 PM, attendees can enjoy FREE BBQ, musical entertainment, and games and activities for kids hosted by North Dakota Gateway to Science. All activities are in the Powers Lake School parking lot and are open to the public.

The CookFest has been held in Belden and Killdeer (2009); Tioga and New Town (2010); Crosby and Watford City (2011); Ray and Belfield (2012); Powers Lake and Parshall (2013); Kenmare and Dunn Center (2014); Alexander and South Heart (2015); Mandaree and Stanley (2016); Westhope and Medora (2017); Grenora and Twin Buttes (2018); Bowman and Van Hook (2019); Arnegard and Mohall (2021); and Trenton and White Shield (2022); back in Killdeer (2023); back in Tioga (2024); and back in Alexander (2025).

DETAILS ABOUT THE EVENT:

July 16 – Powers Lake

2:00-4 p.m. CDT        Bakken Basics Education Session, Powers Lake School, 600 Railroad Ave E.  Powers Lake, ND

• Ron Ness, President, North Dakota Petroleum Council
• Drilling Basics and New Developments – Eli Puckett, Drilling Superintendent, Chord Energy
• Department of Mineral Resources Oil and Gas Update – Marc Binns, District Supervisor, Williston Field Office, ND Dept. of Mineral Resources
• Transporting Bakken Oil and Natural Gas to Market – Justin Kringstad, Executive Director, North Dakota Pipeline Authority
• From Pump Jacks to Piggy Banks: North Dakota’s Energy Revenue – Alison Ritter, Executive Director, Western Dakota Energy Association

4-7 p.m. CDT              Bakken Rocks CookFest – Powers Lake School Parking Lot

• FREE BBQ
• Games and activities for kids
• Educational Exhibit Booths by North Dakota Energy Education, North Dakota Pipeline Authority, NESET, University of Mary, Western Region Economic Development, and more!
• Music by Ty Taylor and Jerilyn Wiseman from Mendenhall Crossing

6:45 p.m. CDT           Awards presented for Judge’s Choice & People’s Choice