THUNDER BAY – Not even COVID-19 could stop Rib Fest from returning to Thunder Bay.
However, this year’s event will look markedly different than last year’s event, the inaugural one held at the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition grounds.
Gladys Berringer, organizer of the expanded 2020 event, said in order to keep everyone safe this summer, they’ve decided to turn Rib Fest into a drive-through affair.
This way the public still gets to enjoy their favourite ribber’s wares, while helping raise much needed money for Our Kids Counts.
This year’s event will run for four days instead of the traditional three, to allow as many customers as possible to place an order.
“Hopefully the crowds can spread out over four days instead of cramming it into three. The model is going to be a takeout, drive-through model. People will not exit their cars. Hopefully they will come with cash prepared,” Berringer said.
“We will have an ATM there, but we’re just in the process of setting it up.”
Berringer said Northern Avenue will be closed during Rib Fest and customers will access the grounds via Fort William Road.
“Then there will be designated routes that they follow. The signage will tell them which ribber they’re choosing . If its Ribs Royale, then they’ll follow that line. If it’s Dinosaur Smoke House or Silver Birch, they’ll follow the different lines and go to their particular choice that they’re looking for,” Berringer said.
As the former long-time executive director of Our Kids Count, Berringer said they worked hard to ensure Rib Fest was going to be possible this summer, as it is the largest single fundraiser for the organization each year.
They couldn’t afford not to do it, she said.
“Losing the revenue from this was going to have a dramatic impact to Our Kids Count, as all the charities in Thunder Bay have struggled because of having to cancel their events. We just needed to be creative and come up with some option to keep the programs going.”
Kathryn Hughes, the current executive director of Our Kids Count, said sure, the experience will be a little different this time around, but in the end, the ribs are the star attraction and they’ll still be there for the taking as always.
“We’re really hoping that people pull up, they turn on the music in their car and they enjoy being able to get their ribs and at least have some experience that gets them out of their house, even if they have to stay in their car and that they really do see this as fun,” Hughes said.
“And if they come all four days in a row, they get four times the fun.”
Berringer said volunteers will be on hand selling 50-50 tickets, which are also being sold on line.
Rib Fest, sponsored by Halfway Motors, is scheduled to take place from Aug. 27 to Aug. 30.
