Ribfest free entry comes a bit earlier

Naperville residents will be able to get into Ribfest for free a little earlier this year to see the Fourth of July fireworks.

Residents will be able to enter for no charge at 7:30 p.m. that evening, half an hour earlier than last year.

The city council on Tuesday unanimously approved compromises with the Naperville Exchange Club to address issues with ticket sales, crowds and sales tax collection.

The event takes place July 2-5 in Knoch Park and last year raised $922,000 for organizations that fight child abuse.

But one problem with the event has been overcrowding, causing safety issues as well as people with pre-purchased tickets to be turned away.

The city has previously asked the club to consider per-day tickets but under the plan approved Tuesday, they will instead implement a real-time attendance system and limit capacity to 35,000. They will also widen aisles and avoid scheduling large bands for the evening of July 4.

The crowd size has also meant some residents have been unable to get into the park to see the Fourth of July fireworks. Residents enter free after a set hour, which has fluctuated over the years but was most recently 8 p.m.

"Since taxpayers help foot a lot of the bill there including fireworks themselves ... at least citizens of our town should be able to get in Ribfest at least for a time, free of charge," Councilman Richard Furstenau said, pushing for the time to be moved to 6 p.m. or sooner.

Bruce Erickson, a founder of Ribfest, said the changes that address overcrowding should allow residents to enter at 7:30 p.m. without being turned away and that the concessions the club has made are already going to cut into the money it collects. Councilmen ultimately agreed to the 7:30 p.m. free entry time for residents.

Another issue surrounding Ribfest has been collecting sales taxes from the vendors. City officials had suggested a food ticket system like the Taste of Chicago to track sales.

However, the city and club reached a compromise that they would instead inform all vendors of their tax obligation and check every vendor out when the event ends. No permits will be issued to vendors who do not pay their taxes in a timely manner.