If you’re coming to Penticton Ribfest, wear your stretchy pants

Five Ribbers will be competing this year at the fourth annual Penticton Ribfest at Okanagan Lake Park.

The BBQ experts hail from all parts of Canada. This includes Prairie Smoke & Spice BBQ from Saskatchewan, Boss Hog’s and Gator BBQ from Ontario, Misty Mountain BBQ from Alberta, and Smoke and Bones from British Columbia.

The five Ribbers will be battling it out for three awards: first place, Best Sauce and People’s Choice. For the People’s Choice award, the public is invited to text their favourite cook-off team to the organizers.

Gator BBQ won People’s Choice and Best Sauce last year in 2017.  Nick Smith works with his entire family as well as a crew. “We put a lot of time in our ribs and cook ‘em nice and slow,” Smith says. “We put a lot of fruit juice in our sauce.”

The ribfest is hosted by the Penticton Rotary Club who will be raising funds for two community projects in the area. This includes the Y.E.S. Youth Resource Centre and the Penticton Regional Hospital’s new patient care tower.

The Rotary Club is over 110 years old. Some of the organization’s goals are promoting peace, fighting disease, supporting education and growing local economies.

Ribfest Chair Barb Hoolaeff says the event is a great community service. “You just watch the kids in the kids’ zone and you see their smiles,” she adds. “You watch the people watching the entertainment and their toes are tapping.  Nobody’s angry here.”

Some highlights for 2018 include Monday’s Clown School, where children can learn how to stilt walk and juggle in the kids zone.

Another fun new activity is the Slimz Brand Blind Beardo Eat Out Competition. The competitor with the cleanest beard after using no arms wins. All proceeds from this activity go to Discovery House, an addiction recovery home for men in Penticton.

Other attractions include two beverage gardens, live music and fireworks on Sunday evening.

40,000 people are expected to attend the event with a goal of raising a minimum of $40,000.

The Penticton Ribfest continues through the Canada Day weekend until Monday July 2^nd.