If you drive by the Sudbury Arena right now, you may catch a whiff of something smoky — that's the smell of RibFest, whose competitive BBQ masters fired up their smokers around 10 a.m. this morning.
Boss Hog's BBQ, Crabby's BBQ Shack, Jack the Ribber, Ribs Royale BBQ, Texas Rangers and Smokehouse Bandits will serve up hot, juicy, award-winning meats all weekend. When Sudbury.com visited this morning, the ribbers looked eager and happy to get the festival going.
Live, totally local music begins at noon today with Identity Crisis taking the mainstage off Minto Street. Also on the live music bill are Franco & Tony (1 p.m.), P&R Express (2p.m.), Channel Albert Duo (3 p.m.), Scott Mitchell (4 p.m.), DT Collective Duo (5 p.m.), Thea May Trio (6 p.m.), Tommy Fyfe and Whiskey River (7 p.m.).
Saturday Night Special (a tribute to Lynyrd Skynyd) close the night at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.
After dinner, check out the Sudbury Wolves first exhibition game against the Ottawa 67s at 7 p.m. tonight.
For the first time, raffles at the festival will be handled electronically. Daily draws begin Aug. 31 and continue to Sept. 2. In partnership with the United Way, proceeds from this year's Downtown Sudbury Ribfest 50/50 draw will support the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign.
Unfortunately, due to the change in venue location, there will be no classic car and motorcycle show this year.
Here's what you can look forward to downtown this Labour Day weekend
Free admission to the Family Fun Zone: Family fun will be provided by Science North - Feel the Rush, and Niagara Inflatables. Plus, wagon rides!
Elgin Street Market will be so close you can see (and visit!) it, just across the street from this year's Ribfest. The market will bustle as always with local produce and products both Saturday and Sunday.
Music at this year's RibFest is 100-per-cent local. Saturday sets begin at 11 a.m. and Sunday sets begin at noon. Sudbury's best bands will continue to take the stage until 9 p.m. each night. Find the full schedule here.
Remember there's free parking at municipal lots and meters all weekend.
Outdoor Movie Night on Saturday, featuring 1980's classic Karate Kid in Memorial Park when darkness falls.
Sudbury Wolves Training Camp practice 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, and public skating 2–4 p.m. Sunday while the Wolves exhibition game against Owen Sound will broadcast inside the arena
