Ribfest Chicago

Details

Fri, August 18, 2023 | 5pm to 10pm
Sat, August 19, 2023 | 12pm to 10pm
Sun, August 20, 2023 | 12pm to 10pm
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Overview

click here for the digital guide

One of Chicago’s most iconic events continues to get the attention it deserves!  Returning for its 23rd year in Northcenter, Ribfest Chicago is clearly all about one thing – ribs!  But what goes better with ribs then live eclectic music on two stages, cold beer, a kids area and so much more!

Experience top BBQ vendors who offer racks of their signature ribs and sides, while competing for two Best of Ribfest Chicago titles: the People’s choice award chosen by the crowd; and the top award chosen by a panel of celebrity judges.

Although ribs play the starring role, Ribfest Chicago offers so much more. A wide variety of local, non-rib restaurants also offer their signature dishes. There is a family area with plenty of activities and games for the kids and its own stage.


Friday
4:30pm – Four Star Brass Band
6:00pm – Too Much Molly
8:00pm – Trippin’ Billies

Saturday
1:00pm – Furious Frank
2:30pm – Big Shoulders Brass Band
4:30pm – Jeff Givens Band
6:30pm – Nikki O’Neill Band
8:30pm – Dancing Queen: An Abba Salute

Sunday
1:00pm – Lamajamal
2:30pm – The Band Calderisi
4:00pm – Mike Wheeler Blues Band
6:00pm – Philip Michael Scales
8:30pm – Michael McDermott and the Arsonists

Friday
5:30pm – Black Oil Brothers
7:00pm – Starlight City
8:45pm – One of These Nights

Saturday
1:30pm – Greasy Gravy
3:00pm – Abby Lyons Band
4:30pm – The Mosquitos
6:00pm – The Chain
8:00pm – Run Forrest Run

Sunday
1:30pm – Viceroy
3:30pm – Into the Heart
5:30pm – Just Pretending (A Pretenders Tribute)
7:30pm – The Gingers

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR VIP PASS

Cost: $50 one-day/$75 two-day

What You Get
  • VIP Lounge Tent with private seating, bathroom, charging stations and swag bag
  • Official Ribfest Chicago 2023 T-Shirt
  • 2 DAILY drink tickets (so if you purchase a 2-day ticket, you’ll get 4 drink tickets)
  • Fast pass line access to Belle Plaine / Middle beer booth
How It Works
  • Decide between one or two-day passes
  • Purchase a VIP ticket
  • Head to the Northcenter Chamber booth (located at 4054 N Lincoln – look for the big orange tent)
  • Grab your drink tickets and wristband
  • ENJOY!

The chamber booth will answer any questions you may have too!

All tickets are rain or shine.  No refunds.

Armadillo’s BBQ
A festival favorite, you’ve probably seen Armadillo’s BBQ around the Chicagoland area (including at this event in the past)!  This year, they’ll be serving BBQ Ribs, Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork, Chicken Breast, Mac & Cheese, Cornbread, and Dinner Sides of Baked Beans and Cole Slaw.  Yum!

Aussom Aussie BBQ
A 25-year veteran of the International BBQ Circuit, Paul “Aussom Aussie” Mackay started competing in BBQ contests in 1988 and after several years he and his father developed their very own traditional Australian fruit-based barbecue sauce. Taking on the best Barbeque chefs he came to North America to prove they had a winning formula. Winning the biggest and best contests in USA and Canada including the Great American Rib Cook-Off, Best in the West and winning 350 awards for best BBQ – Aussom Aussie is at the top of his game.

Austin’s Texas Lightening
Austin’s Texas Lightening has been delivering WINNING results since we opened in 2010. Our goal is to provide both superior BBQ and great customer service for our customers. AUSTIN’S TEXAS LIGHTNING has over 60 years of experience in BBQ business and is passionate about exceeding your expectations.

Big Joe’s Backyard BBQ
It all began with the love for BBQ from the backyard of Big Joe’s home in Burbank, IL where his Dad would cook. Joe’s own love of cooking grew after spending so many years working in the restaurant industry and cooking for his family and friends at home. He learned a lot from his Dad with different cooking techniques and loved testing out new foods and ingredients. Joe’s passion grew as he decided to build my own smoker in his driveway. With that, Joe perfected my own BBQ sauce and eventually began booking caterings for the people in the neighborhood looking for a whole smoked pig.

Blazin Bronco BBQ
Dennis Carrino has 35 years in the food industry. His experiences include restaurant owner, chef and grill master of the National B.B.Q. Cooking Team Blazin Bronco. After 30 years in national competition, they have gained notoriety and a reputation for excellence. As a result, they are considered visionaries, and are consistently imitated, for their booth designs, marketing concepts, and BBQ food trailers. Blazin Bronco exemplifies the spirit of the National Rib Cook-offs and brings exciting new energy, recipes, and products to each event.

Chicago BBQ Company
Born of the original Giovanni’s in Berwyn, IL, we took our award-winning ribs on the road starting in 1985 and have been racking up the Ribfest and Cookoff wins ever since. We cross the country every summer so come see us when we’re nearby.   Who’s hungry?

Johnsons BBQ
Johnson’s Southern Style Barbecue is a fourth-generation recipe handed down from grandfather to father and now to son. Rupert Johnson, current owner and bottler of Johnson’s Southern Style Barbecue, has a family recipe for barbecue sauce that works great on the table, on the stove, or on the grill. Johnson’s Barbecue Sauce adds flavor to beef, pork, poultry, fish, stews, chili, baked beans and scrambled eggs.

Mrs. Murphy’s & Sons
Opening its doors in September 2005, in the heart of Chicago’s North Center neighborhood, Mrs. Murphy’s has been serving up scratch made Irish pub favorites, complemented by a thoughtful assortment of craft beers, a friendly wine list, and a deep list of Irish whiskeys (now more than 50!) for more than 16 years.  And let’s not forget about their Chicago-style ribs.  They’re coated in their amazing Irish whiskey BBQ sauce for some finger-licking tastiness!

Ogre Eats BBQ
Ogre Eats BBQ Owner Edward “EJay” Boyd is a Multi-Faceted BBQ Chef & Grillmaster, Mobile BBQ Caterer, Certified Pitmaster, Gourmet Sausage Maker & Trained Actor Hailing from the Southside of Chicago, IL.  EJay discovered his love for grilling at the age of 14 years old working for his Uncle at Kenny’s Ribs in Chicago. Through his uncle’s mentorship, EJay learned all of the basic elements of Grilling, Smoking, Sausage-Making & Safety while juggling responsibilities as a Student Athlete.

Robinson’s No.1 Ribs
It’s a long way from Lambert, Mississippi to Oak Park, IL, but for Charlie Robinson, the trip was worth it. One of eight children, he learned early about the value of hard work. With a degree from York College in Nebraska and no job prospects, he headed for Chicago. He landed an entry-level job with a national ice cream manufacturer that led to his own distributorship.  But this busy entrepreneur never forgot his southern roots. Some of his favorite recollections were of the neighborhood barbecues of his grandfather who passed on the secret of a sauce that had been relished by 14 generations of Robinsons. Charlie spent long hours in his Oak Park kitchen refining that 200-year-old recipe – cooking, adjusting, substituting, and testing. When Ribfest 1982 came along, Charlie Robinson and his sauce were ready!

Be sure to join us at the Bud Light stage at Irving Park on Sunday at 2:30pm for the Critics’ Choice Award Ceremony!

A special thanks to our 2023 judges:

Mike Janssen:
Mike Janssen is a meteorologist for WGN WeatherCenter and CLTV. Prior to WGN-TV, Mike worked as a meteorologist and reporter at WSIL-TV in Carterville, Illinois, WYIN-TV in Merrillville, Indiana, and WGNO-TV in New Orleans. Mike’s first weekend on-air report in New Orleans occurred just days before Hurricane Katrina made landfall in southeast Louisiana.

Mike grew up in Kankakee County and credits his father David, a former farmer, with getting him interested in weather. He received his degree in mass communications from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and later furthered his education in broadcast meteorology through Mississippi State University.

Mike is a member of the National Weather Association and the American Meteorological Society and holds the AMS Seal of Approval.

Dean Richards:

Dean Richards is WGN-TV’s Emmy Award-winning entertainment reporter and critic. His work is seen and heard on WGN, cable channel News Nation and many of the 200 Nexstar Media Group properties. He was cited in a New York Times front-page article as the company’s “Man of Many Hats.”

Muffy Fishbasket:
Muffy Fishbasket is world famous in her mind and the original drag broad.  Her performance has been referred to as a mix Madeline Kahn confusion and Mae West Camp…which is good ‘cause she’s done her best to steal both of their acts.  She has trained in circus arts at the actors gymnasium and trapeze school New York and performs regularly at Hamburger Mary’s, Carbon Arc, Campit and the House of Blues.  Muffy has performed all over the country and sometimes even on a stage in an actual show!

Muffy Fishbasket is also the Chicago director for the nationally recognized story hour with drag queens.

Chef Tim Cottini, Bub City
Bub City is Chicago’s top destination for live country music, whiskey and barbecue. Chef Tim Cottini’s favorite barbecue dish is the 18 Hour Smoked Brisket, a dish that takes finesse to execute and requires a hands-on approach to ensure that each piece is up to the restaurant’s high standards. Chef also loves the Brisket Burnt Ends, cooked in housemade BBQ sauce for an additional 4 hours until the meat caramelizes, giving it a crispy exterior with a moist and flavorful interior.

Chef Cate, owner of Wild Woods Chef & MasterChef finalist
Chef Cate is a Chicago native who first took the culinary world by storm becoming a Top 4 finalist in Gordon Ramsay’s hit show MasterChef.  She’s the founder of Wild Woods Chef and when not actively cooking or competing you can find her hunting, foraging, and farming for her ingredients.

Looking to connect with active consumers at this event? For pricing and a customized benefits package, please contact Norine Smyth at 312-799-0354 or Laura Wilke at 773-584-6669.

ncc logo cmyk longThe Northcenter Chamber of Commerce is a business and community development organization committed to making Northcenter a better place for businesses and residents.

What began as a small merchants’ organization has evolved into one of Chicago’s largest and most active neighborhood small business organizations, with more than 420 members and counting!

As the Service Provider for Special Service Area #38, the Chamber works with vendors to provide “clean and green” services including landscaping, litter abatement, sidewalk snow removal and more to promote the cleanliness, safety and sustainability of our beloved neighborhood.

We are completely booked and are no longer taking vending application.

If you have any questions please email us at [email protected]

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