Opening day customers at Sarnia Kinsmen Ribfest Friday stood in line in the sunshine and breathed in the aroma of charred meat, just as the gods of barbecue intended.
Opening day customers at the Sarnia Kinsmen Ribfest stood in line in Friday’s sunshine and breathed in the aroma of charred meat, just as the gods of barbecue intended.
“We just love having people come up to the trailers,” said Troy Kat, owner of Route 55 Barbecue of London. “People enjoy it better. You’ve got music; you’ve got all the other amenities. It’s the way to go.”
Many ribfests, including Sarnia’s, temporarily switched to drive-up events during pandemic restrictions, but organizers returned to Centennial Park this year with four ribbers, a dozen or more arts and craft vendors, a half-dozen other food vendors, picnic tables under awnings and live concerts for paying crowds Friday and Saturday evenings.
The Sarnia Kinsmen Club, which began organizing Ribfest in 1999, had to cancel the 2020 event because of COVID and switched to a drive-thru version last year in the parking lot at Lambton College.
Sarnia Kinsmen Ribfest is the first “big one” of the season for Route 55, and typically ranks among the top five events the vendor attends, Kat said.
“We really enjoy it here – great organizers,” he said
It was a couple of tough years during the pandemic restrictions, Kat said.
“We lost a lot of shows,” he said. “A lot of the organizers, they just couldn’t make it.”
Things are starting to get better, he noted.
“I have one drive-up this year and all the rest are walk-ups, so we’re excited,” Kat said. “Hopefully, we’ll be back to normal before you know it.”
Jack Struck, co-chairperson of Sarnia Kinsmen Ribfest, showed off a new addition – a statue of a pig in a chef’s apron and hat and holding a spatula.
“This is our mascot,” Struck said.
It was designed by a teacher and manufactured by students at St. Patrick’s Catholic high school for the event.
The pig, which hadn’t been officially named as of Friday, stands at the entrance next to two large buckets where attendees are encouraged to drop donations.
Those donations are one of the ways the Sarnia Kinsmen Club makes money at Ribfest to support more than 30 local charities and community initiatives.
Admission to Ribfest is free from 11:30 am to 6:30 pm Friday and Saturday, and from noon to 7 pm Sunday.
Admission to the gate for evening concerts on Friday and Saturday is $25.
Friday’s bands include Beer Store Money with a side of Sage, Scott Manery and the Barnburners, and Shania Twain and Garth Brooks tributes.
Saturday’s lineup is Highway Jones, Johnny Five, Chain Reaction Canada and Destroyer Canada, a Kiss tribute.
On Sunday, Father’s Day, the Steve D Band, and Robb Sharp and Lit’l Chicago will perform, plus attendees will receive a ticket for draws for prizes that include barbecues and a recliner.
The cost of staging Ribfest has grown, but organizers have been helped by “some fantastic sponsors,” Struck said.
They include Carpenters Local 1256, the Sarnia Construction Association, UA Local 663 and Tourism Sarnia-Lambton, as well as OSP Contractors, which donated and set up fencing around the event, he said.
“Everything has gone great,” Struck said.
Struck said it felt good to have the event back in the park where it typically attracts crowds estimated at 15,000 or more.
“We’re so excited to be back to normal and have Ribfest back,” said Vicky Praill with Tourism Sarnia Lambton.
The event has a “huge economic impact” with visitors from around Ontario, and some from Michigan, expected, she said.
“We’re happy to see people back in the park and enjoying Sarnia-Lambton,” Praill said.