Lake in the Hills Ribfest kicks off Thursday
Get ready for barbecue ribs, beverages and live bands at Lake in the Hills' 12th annual Rockin' Ribfest Thursday through Sunday, July 6-9.
The event will feature 10 rib vendors, children's activities, and a community rib cook-off at Sunset Park, 5200 Miller Road.
Organizers said more restaurants were added this year because the lines for ribs were so long last year.
"We get about 18,000 people that come out between the four days," said Bill Dustin, past president of the Lake in the Hills Rotary Club and current village trustee.
Rib vendors include local and national restaurants that are regulars on the festival circuit. They are: Armadillo's BBQ; Fine Smoke; Howling Coyote BBQ; BBQ King Smokehouse BBQ; Mojo's Rib Shack; Pigfoot BBQ; Real Urban Barbecue, which has restaurants in Vernon Hills, Oak Brook and Highland Park; SMOKIN' JOES Hog Wild Barbeque; Texas Outlaw BBQ and After Hours Barbeque.
Other food vendors serving the festival are Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, Dr. Vegetable, Hey Brothers Ice Cream, and the Huntley Rotary Club whose members will be roasting fresh corn on the cob.
Bands also are a huge draw. The Friday night headliner is Molly Hatchet, an American Southern rock/hard rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, Saturday night features The Prince Experience tribute band, and popular local group 7th Heaven will take the stage Sunday night.
Ribfest serves as the Rotary club's largest fundraiser with proceeds going toward scholarships for high school seniors and other community groups.
"What we raise is different every year," Dustin said. "There's $11,000 worth of scholarships that we give out. We just gave out $19,000 in grants from (last year's) Ribfest proceeds to nonprofits in McHenry County. We also help out the local food pantries with funds."
Money raised also helps support the club's international projects, such as building a health clinic earlier this year for women and girls in Peru.
"We're a hands-on group," Dustin said. "We donate money and physical labor from our group."
Other Rotary-supported local projects include building a storage shelter for the Lake in the Hills food pantry, and making blankets for cancer patients along with Jacobs High School's student Rotarians - one of the largest student clubs in the nation.
"We also started in conjunction with Jacobs High School a backpack program for kids who are not getting meals over the weekends at home," Dustin said. "They can shop the food pantry … get a backpack sent home with them."
Though the Rotary Club has only 18 members, it takes more than 300 volunteers to pull off Ribfest.
"It's a great time," Dustin said. "It's one of the larger events in McHenry County."
If you go
What: Lake in the Hills' 12th annual Rockin' Ribfest
When: 4:30 to 11 p.m. Thursday-Friday, July 6-7; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 8; 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 9
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 playing: Lava Rock, 6-8 p.m., and Libido Funk Circus, 8:30-10:30 p.m. Thursday; Hillbilly Rockstarz, 6-8:15 p.m., and Molly Hatchet, 9-10:30 p.m. Friday; Jimmy Nick & Don't Tell Mama, noon-2 p.m., Friction, 2:45-4:45 p.m., Hello Weekend, 5:30-7:45 p.m., The Prince Experience, 8:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday; 28 Days, 12-3 p.m., 7th Heaven, 4-6 p.m. Sunday.
Admission: $5 for ages 13 and older; free for active military with ID or children 12 and younger accompanied by an adult.
Details: (847) 742-3378 or <a href="http://lithribfest.com/">lithribfest.com.</a>