Ridgefield Gone Country Barbecue Festival Serves Up Family Fun
Join us for a fun festival celebrating the national BBQ Competitions sanctioned by KCBS & NEBS! Lots of BBQ & plenty of other fare, rides (mechanical bull, merry-go-round, ferris wheel, & more) professional carnival games, vendors, live music all weekend long, & much more family fun. Saturday & Sunday, May 2-3.
- Hartford, CT (1888PressRelease) April 28, 2015 - A celebration of America's original cuisine returns to Ridgefield on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3, for the Second Annual Ridgefield Gone Country Barbecue Festival. For the second year, Ridgefield is hosting two national barbecue competitions, and the grounds of the historic Lounsbury House (a/k/a the Community Center) will be transformed into a carnival, with some of the world's best barbecue, carnival rides, a variety of vendors and concessions, live musical entertainment and lots of family fun.
Thousands are expected to attend the two-day festival organized by and benefiting the Ridgefield Rotary and Lounsbury House and sponsored by Pamby Motors. "Get ready to enjoy an event even bigger and better than last year," said Rich Vazzana, chair of the event and president of the Ridgefield Rotary and Lounsbury House. "It will be an eating extravaganza, with something for every taste and every age." Multiple food vendors will be offering: barbecue selections (Bobby Qs, The Cookhouse, O'Deen's Memphis BBQ, HooDoo Brown BBQ); brick oven pizza (Fire Engine Pizza Co.); smoothies, ices and ice cream (Rita's Ices, Maui Wowi, The Natural Scoop); potatoes and more from the Spud Stud; fresh lobster rolls (Lobster Craft); carnival foods including turkey legs and fried desserts (Nutmeg Concessions); Greek food (Bull's Head Diner); fried pickles (Spacey Tracey's), coffee from Tazza Café, and several other choices.
Rides will include a merry-go-round, salt 'n pepper shakers, a ferris wheel, and a bouncy house. Thunder, the popular mechanical bull, returns this year, along with a new addition: the dunk tank. There will be surprise guests sitting atop the tank.
The sponsors for the Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival include Pamby Motors as the main event sponsor, PepsiCo, Ridgefield Magazine, Ridgefield Hardware, Hamlet Hub, and Old Road Software. Many local businesses have generously donated items necessary for the event, and several non-profits will have booths, including RVNA, the Ridgefield Library, Ridgefield Newcomers, Keeler Tavern and ROAR.
The New England BBQ Society (NEBS) competition will take place all day Saturday, and the Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS) will compete on Sunday. KCBS is the largest non-profit group dedicated to the art of hardwood smoking, and sanctions several hundred contests each year. NEBS offers New England grillers the opportunity to learn Southern style barbecue techniques, whether using wood, charcoal, or even gas. Thirty teams will be vying for trophies and cash prizes in categories including pork, ribs, chicken, brisket, and even pizza. Winners will be announced each day at 4 pm.
Dr. Marylee Dilling, Rotarian and North Carolina native/BBQ fanatic, says the biggest winners will be the folks who attend this festival. "We've turned up the heat this year," she said. "There's so much to do - and even more to eat. It'll be a great weekend to be in Ridgefield."
Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students, and children under 12 are admitted free. Proceeds will go to the non-profit Ridgefield Rotary and Lounsbury House. There will be plenty of free parking available, although guests are requested to avoid parking at The Aldrich Museum (which is hosting an event that evening). The BBQ Festival is occurring in conjunction with Downtown Ridgefield's Spring Stroll on Friday evening, featuring entertainment on Bailey Avenue and along Main Street.
Saturday's BBQ Fest hours are 11am - 9 pm. Live music throughout the day includes Scarecrow, Pedal 12 Project, Mojo Filtered (with local line dancers), and Blues Drivers. The evening's featured band will be Candlewood, a Southern and classic rock band from New Fairfield.
Sunday's hours are 11 am to 5 pm. Music will be provided by Georgie Brennan, Boondocks, and the Bandolins, and Weekly Special will close out the festival.
Vendors and entertainment are being added daily. For more information, visit www.ridgefieldbbqct.com.
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