Roc City Rib Fest Cooks up Miracles for Golisano Children’s Hospital
What better way is there to spend Memorial Day weekend than eating award-winning food, listening to great music and enjoying time with family and friends – all while still staying close to home? This year’s Roc City Rib Fest is not only a great stay-cation option, but the event also has a strong community focus and benefits a number of local charities, including Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
The Roc City Rib Fest is a barbeque and music festival during which more than 100 professional barbequers from across the country compete to win a portion of more than $22,000 in prizes. The four-day event hosts four different barbeque competitions, including the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) Barbeque Competition, the New England Barbeque Society Grilling Competition, the Roc City Rib Cook-Off and a Kids Q children’s cheeseburger competition. The winner of the KCBS Barbeque Competition will be eligible to compete in the Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Tennessee. Another unique experience at Roc City Rib Fest is an opportunity to learn from a nationally recognized competitor, Diva Q, who’s accomplishments include being on the TLC show “BBQ Pitmasters” and was awarded 2011 Jack Daniels World Champion of Pork. Diva Q will be hosting a unique two-day competition barbeque class Thursday, May 24, through Friday, May 25.
This barbeque extravaganza and has become one of the premier barbeque competitions on the east coast and has gained local popularity attracting more than 30,000 people just last year. Guests of the event are invited to purchase some of the best barbeque around from 14 different vendors, almost double the showing from 2011. The event will include several local and regional BBQ favorites, such as Alex’s Place, as well as one vendor travelling from as far away as Texas, the Jack Daniel’s award winning Texas Rib Rangers. In addition to dining at the festival, those who attend will also enjoy four days of music featuring 23 live bands including Andre Foxxe and Chris Beard. The YMCA Kids Zone will also be back this year, featuring large inflatables, numerous games and fun activities for children.
"Our goal is not only to provide a fun and family friendly event for everyone to enjoy, but the event also allows us to raise a ton of money to support our local charities,” said Todd Krupa, co-founder of Roc City Rib Fest. “It's just amazing to think that this is Roc City Rib Fest's fifth anniversary. We owe a big thank you to all of our competitors, vendors, partners, crews and especially the WNY community for showing their support. We look forward to having everyone back for another great Memorial Day weekend."
One dollar of every $5 ticket is donated to Golisano Children’s Hospital. Since its inception in 2008, the event has raised more than $43,000 for the hospital.
Michael Fahy, assistant director of advancement & community affairs at Golisano Children’s Hospital is proud of the partnership with this very successful local event. “We can’t thank everyone involved with the Roc City Rib Fest enough for their help in raising awareness for Golisano Children’s Hospital,” said Fahy.
The Roc City Rib Fest will run from Friday, May 25, through Monday, May 28 at Ontario Beach Park in Rochester. The festival will be open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, May 25, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 26 and 27, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Memorial Day, May 28. Tickets are available at the entrance and are $5 for adults and free for children under the age of 12. For more information, please visit http://roccityribfest.com or contact Tara Gregson at Tara@roccityribfest.com.