Knoch space crunch could impact Ribfest

Among the ongoing issues tied to the Caroline Martin Mitchell land is finding enough space for the Naperville Exchange Club's annual Ribfest celebration.

The club will lose about 5 acres for the festival at Knoch Park when neighboring Naperville Cemetery expands, leading organizers to explore long-term options.

The annual bash, which takes place each year over Fourth of July weekend, draws about 250,000 visitors over four days.

In addition to the site shrinking, organizers also will have to contend with three years of construction work across the street while Naperville Central High School is undergoing renovations.

Ribfest Chairman Don Emery said he likes holding the festival at Knoch Park along West Street, which offers the advantage of being downtown and a familiar site for organizers and visitors alike.

But in 2010, he expects to feel the space crunch, particularly in the area of the park where the festival's second stage is typically located.

While there are no current plans to relocate the event, the Exchange Club is meeting with Naperville Park District to talk about their options down the road.

If they decide to stick with Knoch Park, possibilities include using additional land nearby such as Rotary Hill. Some have suggested downsizing the event as another possibility.

Organizers also will be considering alternate sites, such as Nike Park along Diehl Road on the city's north side. Emery said the site would be ideal because of its size.

Frontier Park on the city's south side also has been suggested by some, but Emery said it may be too built-out to hold the festival.

Both of those parks also would have issues of taking up in-demand athletic fields and potential complaints from nearby property owners, according to a study of the Caroline Martin Mitchell land by city planners.

"(No) solution is perfect so we'll have to live with the hand we're dealt," Emery said. "We're trying to be flexible and be a good partner in this to figure it out."