'Let's get grilling': Ribfest draws hundreds for tangy, juicy ribs
Since Thursday, the smell of mouth-watering ribs has filled the air at the North Bay waterfront.
The grills are sizzling, the customers are ordering and then sitting down to devour the tangy, juicy meat.
"The taste, the sauce, the smoke. You can't beat it," chuckled Shawn Hamilton, a local rib lover.
"I got three racks because I tried to be modest and I also got a couple pounds of pulled pork."
With a kids zone and live music, Sunday marked the last day of the 2022 Harvest King Ribfest as hungry people packed the waterfront and were thrilled to see it come back for the first time since 2019.
Carrying a few small boxes full of food were sisters Jessica Servello and Karly Hatchard.
"We definitely missed it for the last few years," explained Hatchard.
"I love BBQ. We literally went to each stall and got a bit of everything," said Servello.
For the last four days, three out-of-town ribbers have been cooking and lathering the meat to the heart's desire.
"We have some that believe it or not don't want them saucy and like them how we call it 'Memphis Style' and that's pre-rubbing them with flavour combinations," explained Kona Sakellis, co-owner of 'Route 55' Ribs.
Sakellis is also the general manager of Jack The Ribber; another of the other rib stalls set up.
"It's been fantastic so far," she said, noting there is friendly competition between the three stalls on who has the best ribs around.
"We all have a little bit of leeway each to change it up when it comes to what flavour pallet each team wants to incorporate."
The Baker family came up from Sundridge to try the food.
"I'm liking these 'Route 55' ones. They have a nice sweet flavour to them and a little bit of bbq sauce," said Shaw Baker.
"They fall of the bone and they're delicious."
In previous years, the ribfests were hosted at the Voyager Inn. The operators, Tom and Geoff Richardson, approached The Boat restaurant manager, Steve Bitonti, asking if he would take it over to keep the tradition going. Bitonti and others formed a committee and invited the ribbers up.
"On Saturday, we had about a thousand adults come with all of their children too. It was a great day here," said Louise Lowe, a member of the committee.
There is a $10-a-day wristband and kids aged 12 and under get in for free. There is also a $15 four-day pass. The wristband gets you into the festival grounds, but that’s not the only way you can purchase some ribs.
There is also an express line for ribs. A portion of the proceeds will go to the North Bay Food Bank, which is also collecting donations and non-perishable food items.
"We're waiting to tabulate all the amazing numbers that have come in the last three days," explained Debbie Marson, executive director of the food bank
"We're going to add the big rush in today and then we'll see what we get."
Ribfest ends Sunday night with a fireworks show.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.