Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival: Great food, more music
Meat may be the lure, but this weekend's Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival promises to be smoking on a lot of levels.
There are, of course, 76 teams competing for $15,000 in cash prizes and a shot at a spot in the American Royal KC Masterpiece Invitational Contest, in Kansas City later this year.
Ned Caldwell, the Rotary event's advertising and entertainment chair, ticks off a list of other entertainment options: A kids zone, with 15 vendors and a Canadian "mad scientist"; bands performing all evening Friday and Saturday; and two Texas Hold'em poker tournaments, to name a few.
Caldwell credits the location at Ozark Empire Fairgrounds for giving the event the space it needed to grow. The E-Plex provides much-needed indoor space and ample bathrooms, there's generous parking, and the fairgrounds provide abundant space for competitors and entertainment.
"We will have a tent city that we'll start building next week," Caldwell says. Each of the 100 or so tents will have running water and electricity.
"To be a volunteer and to be involved in this is completely energizing. It takes one year to plan it, one week to build it and one day to pack it all away until next year," he says.
While there are four more teams competing this year than last, it's the music side of the festival that's exploded this year.
"Last year, we had eight local bands at the event. This year, we're going to actually have a record-breaking 23 country and rock musical acts with over 18 hours of live music on Friday and Saturday night," Caldwell says.
There also is an army of volunteers involved in making sure the event goes smoothly. Caldwell estimates somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 people will help out over the weekend.
"It is a lot of work. Our volunteers put in so much time and effort, but I think for most of us on the management team, the week of April 24 and 25 is Christmas for us," he says.
"The best part of this is that last year, we were able to donate $140,000, and since its inception (in 2000), we've given $1.4 million to seven local children's charities," he says.
Want to go?
What: 16th Annual Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival, presented by the Rotary Clubs of Springfield Missouri to benefit seven local children's charities
When: 5-11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday
Where: Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, 3001 N. Grant Ave.
Cost: Tickets are $8 in advance at Kum & Go and Great Southern locations and Hy-Vee; $10 at the door; free on Saturday for children 12 and younger
Info: rocknribs.com or 877-430-7427
Schedule
Friday (21 and older only)
•5-10 p.m.: Rock'n Ribs Swag Sales, merchandise booth
•5 p.m. till gone: Public barbecue sampling
•5:45-6:30 p.m.: Ozark Sheiks, Main Event Tent
•6:30 p.m.-till it's done: Texas Hold'em Deepstack Poker Tournament, East E-Plex
•6:45-7:30 p.m.: Bob "Bobo" Davidson, Main Event Tent
•7-7:45 p.m.: Big Damn Heroes, West Event Tent
•7:45-8:30 pm.: Makenna and Brock, Main Event Tent
•8-8:45 p.m.: Justice Adams Band, West Event Tent
•8:30-8:40 p.m.: Missouri Lotto Beach Ball Promotion, Main Event Tent
•8:45-9:30 p.m.: The Brothers Roberson, Main Event Tent
•9-9:45 p.m.: Sugar Thumb, West Event Tent
•9:45-11 p.m.: Candy Coburn, Main Event Tent
Saturday (all ages welcome)
•9-10 a.m.: American National Motorcycle Show Registration, front of E-Plex
•10 a.m.: Gates open
•10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Kids area activities, Kids Zone, E-Plex
•10 a.m.-2 p.m.: American National Motorcycle Show, front of E-Plex
•10 a.m.-10 p.m.: Rock'n Ribs Swag, merchandise booth
•11-11:30 a.m.: Science Show, Kids Zone
•Noon-12:30 p.m.: School of Rock, West Event Tent
•12:15-1 p.m.: Mark and Cindy, Main Event Tent
•12:30-1 p.m.: Science Show, Kids Zone
•12:45-1:15 p.m.: Nadia, West Event Tent
•1 p.m. till it's gone: Public barbecue sampling, BBQ Teams area
•1:15-2 p.m.: Casey Lynne and the Deal Breakers, Main Event Tent
•1:30-2 p.m.: Lux, West Event Tent
•2-2:15 p.m.: American National Motorcycle Awards Ceremony
•2-2:30 p.m.: Science Show, Kids Zone
•2:15-3 p.m.: Casey Lynne and the Deal Breakers, Main Event Tent
•2:15-3 p.m.: Jesse and the Rips, West Event Tent
•3:15-4 p.m.: The Professors and Mary Ann, Main Event Tent
•3:15-4 p.m.: Call Me Beta, West Event Tent
•3:30-4:45 p.m.: Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament Registration, Central Hall E-Plex
•3:30-4 p.m.: Science Show, Kids Zone
•4:15-5 p.m.: Cor Captis, Main Event Tent
•5 p.m. till it's done: Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament, East E-Plex
•5-6 p.m.: Barbecue Team Awards Ceremony, West Event Tent
•5-5:10 p.m.: Missouri Lotto Beach Ball Promotion, Main Event Tent
•5:20-6:20 p.m.: Mark Chapman Band, Main Event Tent
•5:30 p.m. till gone: Whole hog public sampling, BBQ Teams, near Main Event Tent
•6:40-7:40 p.m.: Machine Gun Symphony, Main Event Tent
•7:40-7:50 p.m.: Missouri Lotto Beach Ball Promotion, Main Event Tent
•8-9 p.m.: The Mixtapes, Main Event Tent
•9:20-11 p.m.: Members Only, Main Event Tent