Cleanup follows 5 ‘solid nights’ of Ribfest
The party is over, the 13 rib vendors have packed up and driven away, and Naperville’s Knoch Park is looking just a little tired.
Now it’s time for Ribfest organizers to dismantle tents, take down signs, crunch numbers, pay bills and see how much they can donate to charities that work to end child abuse and domestic violence in the wake of the 26th annual event.
Final attendance figures won’t be available for about a week and fundraising totals for at least a month, but Naperville Exchange Club members say this year’s Ribfest was busy, beer sales were strong and crowds enjoyed the food, atmosphere and entertainment.
“It was great to see the park just filled with happy people and very little problems during the entire event,” said Marty Walker, Ribfest chairman.
The park was packed on July 4, and Sunday attracted the second-biggest crowd as visitors stayed late for the Lynyrd Skynyrd show, said Julie Lichter, Ribfest spokeswoman. She gave partial credit for “five really solid nights” of steady attendance to a pleasantly warm summer weekend.
“We can plan everything but we can’t plan the weather and it was very cooperative,” Lichter said. “We really were very fortunate.”
With Ribfest 2013 in the books, Walker said Knoch Park cleanup is expected to be complete within a couple days.