The Highland Rotary Club organizes 300 volunteers for the event, which includes activities for the entire family, including a cooking demonstration lineup and live music featuring the Little Creek Band and Mr. Kick on Saturday and the Cagneys on Sunday. In addition to that there is a free “Kids’ Korner” with face-painting, crafts, climbing walls, dunking booths, bouncy houses and a ride on the “RibFest Express,” which takes families on a tour of the RibFest activities.
“We have local Girl Scout troops that do a fantastic job with the Kids’ Korner,” said Costantino, who noted that the RibFest brings in dozens of local organizations to volunteer, and in return they get a portion of the proceeds. “It’s a win/win,” she said. “They help make sure this event runs smoothly and in turn we support their organizations.”
All of the proceeds after the volunteer not-for-profits go directly to the Highland Rotary so that it can continue to help fund local scholarships and community-based projects as well as its international projects, which recently have been focused on helping communities in Third World countries get access to water filters so that they have safe, clean drinking water.
There is of course the always-popular beer tent; an Urban Cowboy-style bull on which people can test their riding mettle; and endless selections of fresh local gourmet food, on top of the plethora of barbecued ribs and chicken, including roasted sweet corn, hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, fried pickles, smoothies, lemonade, jerk shrimp and pork, soft pretzels, gourmet nuts, fudge, candy and much more.
Barbecue continues to grow and thrive in New York State, with more teams competing at the Hudson Valley RibFest each year, as well as a greater numbers of visitors. This year there are over 50 teams slated to pit their barbecue skills against some steep competition not only for bragging rights, but also for a portion of the $8,500 in prize money. The New England Barbecue Society grilling contest will be held on Saturday, Aug. 17 and will also include an apple dessert competition, as the Hudson Valley’s premier agricultural product is apples and teams will have the opportunity to see what they can do with local apples. Then, on Sunday, Aug. 18, there will be the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) competition. The Hudson Valley RibFest is part of the Empire State Barbecue Championship Challenge, which includes 12 events throughout the state, all working together to “help grow and promote great barbecue in New York,” said Costantino.
There is still time left for contest teams to enter the 2013 Hudson Valley RibFest. To sign up or get more information, go to www.hudsonvalleyribfest.org. To stay informed, you can also follow the RibFest on Twitter @hvribfest or on Facebook.
Admission costs $5 for adults, and children under 12 get in free. Advance tickets are available at all area Hannaford supermarkets for $4, and parking is free.
“It’s just a fabulous weekend,” said Costantino. “Summer is about outdoor fun, and the RibFest is all about the fun of barbecuing and enjoying the beautiful weather, the fantastic people and barbecue teams and visitors, as well as enjoying the pastoral setting.”
