Country and blues featured at 4th annual Ribfest in Vernon Hills
The Vernon Hills Park District's fourth annual Little Bear Ribfest is set for 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, Aug. 22, and 3 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Aug. 23, at Century Park, 1001 Lakeview Parkway, Vernon Hills.
Entertainment features country and blues artists, while vendors include Real Urban BBQ, Smokin T's, Uncle Bub's, The Full Slab, and newcomer Big Ed's BBQ.
Free parking is available at the Westfield Hawthorn Mall, with free shuttle service to and from the Ribfest site.
Admission is $5 and proceeds help support the park district's Family Scholarship Program.
Friday night's entertainment begins at 7 p.m. with country music artist Amber Hayes. In 2013, Billboard Magazine named Amber one of its "Artists to Watch." Following Hayes will be country music star Keith Anderson, best known for his top-10 hits "Pickin' Wildflowers" and "I Still Miss You." In addition to writing his own material, Anderson cowrote Big & Rich's single "Lost in This Moment," a No. 1 hit on the country music charts in 2007.
On Saturday, area favorites Red, White & Blues Band opens at 5 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by the Junior Wells All-Star Tribute featuring some of the best musicians in the country, including local celebrity and blues musician Buzz Killman on harmonica.
Trampled Under Foot, a blues band from Kansas City, closes out Ribfest. At the 2014 Blues Music Awards, Trampled Under Foot's album, "Badlands," won the "Contemporary Blues Album of the Year" category.
At the same ceremony, Danielle Schnebelen triumphed in the "Best Instrumentalist - Bass" category. The band was also nominated in the "Band of the Year" category.
The park district partners with the village of Vernon Hills and the police department and the Countryside Fire Protection District for this unique Lake County festival. Local civic groups, including the Lions Club, Rotary, and Knights of Columbus, provide many of the volunteers.
Visit www.littlebearribfest.com for festival details.