LIVING
& STYLE
London Rib-Fest is “finger lickin’ good!”
~ John Sharpe
London, ON - While Sunfest, Bluesfest and Home County are all great events, only London’s annual Rib-Fest can honestly claim (to borrow a phrase) to be “finger lickin’ good!” Entirely operated by the Boys’ & Girls’ Club of London with the help of more than 500 volunteers who give 3,500 hours of their time, Rib-Fest will take place from Thursday, July 31 to Monday, August 4 at Victoria Park. Events run all day, from 11:00 am to 11:00 p.m. All proceeds go towards funding recreation programs that serve over 8,000 children and youth, 1,000 seniors, and over 14,000 families in need every year at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club. Last year, the event raised $130,000 and organizers are hoping to do even better this year.
With more than 70 craft and food vendors on site, Rib-Fest is regarded as the largest festival of its kind in Canada and second largest in North America. Indeed, Rib-Fest attracts an estimated 120,000 people over the course of its five-day span. It’s been estimated that around 15,000 kilograms of meat, nearly 5,000 cobs of corn and 150 kegs of beer will be consumed during the event. And if you don’t like ribs, vendors will also be serving up beef, chicken and fancy desserts from different cultures.
The festival’s main attraction might well be the annual competition between restaurants from Canada and the United States to determine who has the “Best Ribs in Canada.” Last year’s winner, Ribs Royale, will be returning to defend its title but will face a stiff challenge from Blazing BBQ, Boss Hog, Crabby’s BBQ, Fire Island, Honeyhuckers, Jack the Ribber, Kentucky Smokehouse, Pistol Pete, Southern Smokers and Tony Roma’s. The winner will be determined by a panel of 12 judges that includes Paul Walker (Labatt Ontario Breweries), Police Chief Murray Faulkner, Gord Ralston (EllisDon) and Jeff McArthur (103.9 The Hawk).
Another event scheduled for this year is the Karaoke Contest, hosted by Paul Byers, owner of London-based Karaoke Canada and Charlie Vandenakker of Vanrock Sound. Contestants will compete in three categories according to age: Kids (up to 7 years old), Prince and Princesses (8-15 years old) and Open (Males and Females 16 and over). A number of celebrity judges will be on hand to pick the winners who will receive prizes that include gift certificates from various restaurants, as well a studio recording time and gear.
The Karaoke Contest will also feature showcase performances throughout the weekend by some very talented local singers. Kitchener-Waterloo-based Neil Diamond tribute artist George Antes will perform, along with 16-year-old Ingersoll resident Brandon Saunders who will pay tribute to Elvis. Contemporary young London vocalists Tyler Edwards, 15, and Cassandra Hodgins, 13, will also sing at this year’s Rib-Fest during the Karaoke Contest.
In addition, the Family Fun Zone will provide fun for all ages with face painting, kiddie rides, games and inflatable attractions for the kids. For older folks, there will be two beer tents on site and a nightly schedule of professional live entertainment. For more information, please call (519) 434-9114.
