By Darlene Brace
Now that Memorial Day is behind us, it’s time to dive into the summer season by attending the annual Celoron Ribfest, the first big festival of the season! This year, the festivities are happening again at the beautiful Lucille Ball Memorial Park in Celoron from June 4th-7th. Get ready for some delicious, barbecued ribs and pulled pork dinners. Plus, there will be live music each day and loads of fun activities for everyone. It’s a great way to kick off summer with friends and family.
Some of the favorite vendors at the Ribfest are back, including Pigfoot BBQ, After Hours BBQ, and Porky Chicks BBQ, bringing along their tasty fare. This year, they welcome Texas Outlaws BBQ as a newcomer! Each of these BBQ vendors offers a variety of ribs, pulled pork, and tasty side dishes like pork and beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and cornbread. Plus, they have a selection of sauces to choose from, ranging from mild to super-hot and spicy, so you can customize your meal just the way you like it!
If you’re looking for food options other than BBQ, be sure to stop by Fowler’s Concession. They’ve got all kinds of delicious options like chicken fingers, French fries, pizza, and even Bloomin’ Onions and corndogs. Plus, you don’t want to miss out on their specialty goodies like funnel cakes, candy apples, and fluffy cotton candy. There will also be some vendors serving up cold sodas and fresh-squeezed lemonade to keep you refreshed. With so many tasty options, there’s something for everyone, and you definitely won’t leave hungry!
You’re welcome to enjoy your meals at the beer and wine garden, which includes a tent area with plenty of picnic tables set up for you to relax and enjoy your food. They’ll be checking IDs at the entrance of the beer and wine tent, and those over 21 will get a special wristband to enjoy some adult beverages, but everyone is welcome in this area. There are also benches throughout the park, or you can bring your own lawn chairs to sit back and enjoy your meal in the beautiful lakeside surroundings.
Another highlight of this festival, besides the delicious food, is the live music performed each evening at the Desi Arnaz Bandshell. On Wednesday night, the Dan Douglas Band will kick off the festival from 6-9pm, playing rock and country music. Thursday evening will feature A Strange Kind of Sunshine at 6pm, which will be performing old favorites as well as some newer tunes. Taylor Remaid will take the stage on Friday evening, delivering a fun mix of rock and pop music that will get people up dancing from 8-11pm. On Saturday afternoon, a DJ will play tunes from 4:30-7:30pm. Concluding the festival’s live music will be the popular band Smokin’ 45, which will have everyone foot stomping and moving and grooving to their unique blend of ‘country music with a little bit of rock.’
Besides live music, the Ribfest includes other activities. On Saturday, there will be a cruise-in starting at 12pm, sponsored by Bailey’s Towing Recovery. You can bring your special ride to show off or just enjoy browsing at all of the classic cars.
Your kids can have a great time exploring the new playground that just opened a few months ago, as well as the return of the Kidzone. The Kidzone features a bounce house and face painting, and there will be train rides around the park on Friday and Saturday, provided by the Chautauqua Safety Village.
There will be a large area of craft and novelty vendors set up along the park walkways, and they will be selling a variety of goods such as crafts, art, unique clothing, jewelry, knick-knacks, hats, accessories, and other specialty items. Take your time browsing and shopping while listening to the band in the distance.
The Ribfest committee has organized an exciting community festival and fundraiser, featuring delicious food, a cruise-in, vendors, live music, and more. Proceeds from the Ribfest will support the Celoron Fire Department, the Celoron Moose, and other local nonprofits.
This year’s festival will start daily at 3pm, offering tasty food and great entertainment. Bring your family and friends to enjoy the Celoron Ribfest and all it has to offer. For more information, visit celoronribfest.com.