Lake in the Hills' Ribfest marks 10th year

Lake in the Hills' Rockin' Ribfest marks its 10th anniversary this year and organizers promise it will be big.

The festival runs 4:30 to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at Sunset Park, 5200 Miller Road.

It will feature barbecue vendors, children's games, a car show on Saturday, and community rib cook-off on Sunday.

"We've got more vendors this year … selling products or displaying products and services than ever before, which is exciting," said Dot Dustin, event chairwoman and 2016-17 president elect of the Lake in the Hills Rotary Club.

Typically, the festival draws about a dozen vendors, but this year nearly 30 have signed up, she said.

"We've done a really good job of going out and soliciting businesses to make it more interesting for our visitors," Dustin said.

On a good year, roughly 20,000 people come through the festival.

"Depending on the musical entertainment … we've had people come from St. Louis, New York," Dustin said. "When we had Lee DeWyze, people were coming from everywhere to hear him."

The American Idol winner and Mount Prospect native was the Friday night headliner last year.

"Traditionally, our big headliner is on Saturday night because that's when our biggest crowd is," Dustin said.

This year's headliners are Little Texas, a country band from Nashville performing Friday night, and Hoobastank, an American rock band from California performing Saturday night. Both acts are well known on the national stage and "are actually bigger than Lee DeWyze," Dustin said.

Other bands performing this year include Kashmir, The Fortunate Sons, Recycle the Day, The Gingers, The Personnel, Jamie Campbell & The Redneck Romeos, Howard and The White Boys, and Wedding Banned.

Kiddie Academy, an educational child care, day care/preschool provider, will display a Promod 1963 Corvette with a "big roaring engine," 764-cubic inch motor, full carbon fiber body that runs a quarter mile in 6.3 seconds at 226 mph.

"It was such a big hit (last year) and it was requested to bring it back this year," Dustin said.

Another big draw is the car show, which marks its eighth year. It will feature models from four periods: 1959 and earlier; 1960s and 1970s; 1980s and later; and imports. There is no preregistration for the car show, but in years past, it has drawn more than 50 entrants and is one of the main attractions this weekend.

Proceeds from Ribfest help support the Rotary Club's service projects in our community, region and world.

"We have to finish paying off a commitment that we made to the Lake in the Hills Veterans Memorial," Dustin said. "We had committed $45,000 to that project, have paid $30,000 so far."

The group also organizes four local food pantries yearly funded through Ribfest proceeds.

"Last year, unfortunately, we only made about $30,000. That is way under what we try to accomplish," Dustin said adding, the goal this year is to raise $75,000, which the group has collected in years past.

Admission is $5 for ages 13 and older, and free for active military with ID and children 12 years and younger accompanied by an adult.

Organizers are seeking roughly 100 more volunteers to man the festival.

"An event of this size obviously takes a lot of volunteers - typically more than 200 volunteers," Dustin said.

For information or to sign up to volunteer, call (847) 742-3378 or visit lithribfest.com.

If you go

What: 10th annual Lake in the Hills Rockin' Ribfest

When: 4:30 to 11 p.m. Thursday-Friday, July 9-10; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 11; 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 12

Where: Sunset Park, 5200 Miller Road, Lake in the Hills Featuring: Barbecue vendors, kids' games, car show on Saturday and community rib cook-off on Sunday. Bands include Kashmir, The Fortunate Sons, Little Texas, Recycle the Day, The Gingers, The Personnel, Hoobastank, Jamie Campbell & The Redneck Romeos, Howard and The White Boys and Wedding Banned.

Admission: $5 for ages 13 and older; free for active military with ID or kids 12 and younger accompanied by an adult.

Details: (847) 742-3378 or <a href="http://lithribfest.com">lithribfest.com</a>.