News

Naperville's Ribfest adds Titanic exhibit, NBA Jam Van

Posted July 01, 2009 11:00 pm

By Melissa Jenco Daily Herald Staff

Seventeen rib vendors will take part in the Naperville Exchange Club's Ribfest this year. They'll be judged based on taste, tenderness and appearance. Brian Hill | 2003

From the NBA Jam Van and Titanic exhibit to improved crowd control, the Naperville Exchange Club has a few new tricks up its sleeve to entice visitors to Ribfest this weekend.

The festival runs from noon to 10 p.m. today through Sunday, July 5, at Knoch Park, 724 S. West St., and boasts food, music, rides and exhibits as well as a good cause that benefits from the proceeds.

"The caliber of entertainment and ... the uniqueness of the event in general really make it popular," Chairman Dave Harrington said.

Admission is $10 at the gate or $8 for tickets purchased in advance from area Jewel grocery stores. Children 11 and younger are free.

Several new exhibits will be part of Ribfest this year. "The Titanic: Treasures from the Deep" traveling exhibit features 50 artifacts from the ship and will be at the fest all weekend.

In addition, the NBA Jam Van will feature players signing autographs and performances by dance teams. Visitors can also size up their own talent with dribbling, passing and shooting contests.

For baseball fans, the Bulls/Sox Training Academy will conduct a baseball training camp for kids from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday in the U.S. Cellular stage seating area. Former White Sox player Carlos May will be signing autographs.

Children and their parents also can find magic shows, face painting, a petting zoo, circus and more in the family area.

Seventeen rib vendors will be on hand to provide sustenance for the weekend. Saturday, they'll face off for the designation of best ribs and sauce at the fest.

Ribfest will also include several barbecue cooking exhibits featuring demonstrations from Southern Living BBQ and KC BBQ.

To help dance away the calories, Heart, Sara Evans, Todd Rundgren and Huey Lewis and the News all will be playing the Miller Lite main stage today through Sunday respectively. On the U.S. Cellular stage, performers include Blue Oyster Cult, North Mississippi All-Stars, WAR and Herman's Hermits with Peter Noone.

Organizers have made a few tweaks to deal with overcrowding and handicap accessibility issues that have plagued the fest in the past. They've implemented a real-time attendance system and are limiting capacity to 35,000. There will be no re-entry after 7 p.m. on all nights except July 4.

They've also widened the aisles, added a new handicapped-accessible entrance off West Street and scheduled the July 4 headliner early in the evening so crowds there to see Todd Rundgren don't conflict with people coming that night to see fireworks that begin at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Free admission begins at 7 p.m. that day.

But the fest is still bound to draw thousands so Harrington advises visitors to purchase pre-sale tickets and arrive early.

While he expects attendance to be up since more people are staying in town this summer, he said sponsorship is down about 20 to 30 percent so the event likely won't raise quite as much for charity as it has in the past.

Last year the Exchange Club donated $922,000 from Ribfest to organizations that fight child abuse. Being able to help those groups, Harrington said, is what makes all of the time and effort worthwhile.

"A lot of organizations we work with and donate money to ... have greater need than ever before so it gives us a purpose to put on the best event we can this year," he said.

Anyone who would like to volunteer to help out with Ribfest can go to ribfest.net to sign up for open positions.

The site also includes complete schedules and information about parking, rules, etc.

The family area at Ribfest will include mechanical bull riding along with jousting, inflatables, euro Bungee, a petting zoo and circus. Daily Herald File photo

Ribfest's family area includes inflatables, jousting, a mechanical bull, big slide, euro Bungee, obstacle, petting zoo, circus, magic show and more. Paul Michna | 2002

Visitors to the Naperville Exchange Club's Ribfest will find no shortage of activities including a petting zoo, Euro Bungee, magic show, musical acts and exhibits like a Titanic traveling exhibit and NBA Jam Van. Brian Bill | 2003

Seventeen rib vendors will take part in the Naperville Exchange Club's Ribfest this year. Sweet Baby Ray's is the defending champion for best ribs while Smokin' Joe's Hog Wild Barbeque took last year's crown for best sauce. Tanit Jarusan | 2006

A variety of musical acts will perform on two stages throughout the four-day Ribfest in Naperville's Knoch Park. The Naperville Exchange Club hosts the annual event to raise money for organizations that fight child abuse. Daily Herald File Photo

Guitarist Nancy Wilson and her sister, singer Ann Wilson, of Heart will take the stage at 8:30 p.m. today on the Miller Lite main stage at the Naperville Exchange Club's Ribfest. Heart drew a sold-out crowd when they played Ribfest in 2007. Daily Herald file photo

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=303620">Plenty of music on tap at Naperville's Ribfest[7/2/09]</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=303623">Rib cookoff a friendly but intense competition [7/2/09]</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> Naperville Ribfest The festival, sponsored by the Naperville Exchange Club, runs from noon to 10 p.m. today through Sunday, July 5, at Knoch Park, 724 S. West St. Tickets are $10 at the gate or $8 if purchased in advance from area Jewel grocery stores. Children 11 and younger are free. Info: www.ribfest.net. JULY 2 Noon to 8 p.m. Inflatables, jousting, mechanical bull, big slide, Euro Bungee, big slide, obstacle, petting zoo, hands on tent Noon to 3 p.m. Balloon twister in hands on tent 12:30, 2:30, 4:30 p.m. Circus 12:30 p.m. One More Time on Miller Lite main stage 1:30, 3:30, 5:30 p.m. Magic shows 2 p.m. Black Cat Bone on Miller Lite main stage 3:30 p.m. Gurus of Blues on Miller Lite main stage 3:30 p.m. The Almost Brothers on U.S. Cellular stage 4 p.m. School of Performing Arts 5 p.m. The Waterdawgs on U.S. Cellular stage 5:15 p.m. Dirty Dan/The Boyzz on Miller Lite main stage 6:30 p.m. The West Side Winders on U.S. Cellular stage 6:45 p.m. The Steepwater Band on Miller Lite main stage 8:30 p.m. Blue Oyster Cult on U.S. Cellular stage 8:30 p.m. Heart on Miller Lite main stage JULY 3 Noon to 8 p.m. Inflatables, jousting, mechanical bull, big slide, Euro Bungee, obstacle, petting zoo, hands on tent Noon to 3 p.m. Balloon twister in hands on tent 12:30, 2:30, 4:30 p.m. Circus 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Joe's Garage Band on Miller Lite main stage 1:30, 3:30, 5:30 p.m. Magic shows 2 to 3 p.m. The Paul Avers Band on Miller Lite main stage 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The Swingbillies on Miller Lite main stage 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Lee DeWyze Band on U.S. Cellular stage 5 to 6 p.m. Janesville on Miller Lite main stage 5 to 6 p.m. Admiral of Black on U.S. Cellular stage 6:30 to 8 p.m. Heartsfield on Miller Lite main stage 6:30 to 8 p.m. Backyard Tire Fire on U.S. Cellular stage 8:30 to 10 p.m. North Mississippi All-Stars on U.S. Cellular stage 8:45 to 10 p.m. Sara Evans on Miller Lite main stage JULY 4 Noon to 8 p.m. Inflatables, jousting, mechanical bull, big slide, Euro Bungee, obstacle, petting zoo, hands on tent Noon to 3 p.m. Balloon twister in hands on tent 12:30, 2:30, 4:30 p.m. Circus 12:30 p.m. Hannah Ford Band on Miller Lite main stage 1:30, 3:30, 5:30 p.m. Kid Bucks 1:30 p.m. Dave Rudolf 2 p.m. Wheelhouse on Miller Lite main stage 3 p.m. Ernie Hendrickson on U.S. Cellular stage 3:30 p.m. The Gourds on Miller Lite main stage 4 p.m. McNulty Irish Dancers 4:30 p.m. Mr. Blotto on U.S. Cellular stage 5:30 p.m. Todd Rundgren on Miller Lite main stage 7:30 p.m. WAR on U.S. Cellular stage 7:40 p.m. Dimestore String Band on Miller Lite main stage 9:30 p.m. Fireworks JULY 5 Noon to 8 p.m. Inflatables, jousting, mechanical bull, big slide, Euro Bungee, obstacle, petting zoo, hands on tent Noon to 3 p.m. Balloon twister in hands on tent Noon to 3 p.m. Bull/Sox Training Academy baseball training camp; former White Sox player Carlos May signing autographs 12:30, 2:30, 4:30 p.m. Circus 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Park District Battle of the Bands on Miller Lite main stage 1:30, 3:30, 5:30 p.m. Kid Bucks 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Dave Rudolf 3 p.m. Trixie Fender on Miller Lite main stage 3:30 p.m. No Show Joe on U.S. Cellular stage 4:30 p.m. Junkyard Groove on Miller Lite main stage 5 p.m. Everett Dean and the Hip Noz on U.S. Cellular stage 6:30 p.m. 7th Heaven on Miller Lite main stage 6:30 p.m. The Hat Guys on U.S. Cellular stage 8:30 p.m. Herman's Hermits with Peter Noone on U.S. Cellular stage 8:30 p.m. Huey Lewis and the News on Miller Lite main stage

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