Above / Volunteers from Wayside Cross set up the tables and chairs for the sponsor area on June 29. Afterward they gave Exchange Club of Naperville and all the other volunteers a round of applause for planning another great event. Cheers!
Early Friday morning, July 1, Friday ABC7 will be onsite at 2016 Ribfest for a preview of things to come when Exchange Club of Naperville gets set to kick off its four-day family festival, slated to begin at noon, running from noon to 10PM July 1-4.
Morning Show Traffic Anchor Roz Varon will be broadcasting live from Knoch Park for the early newscast from 4:30AM to 7AM. During the summer she hosts “Friday Festivals” and this week she’s featuring Naperville’s biggest festival, a true party with a purpose to raise funds to prevent child abuse and domestic violence.
“It’s exciting when a year’s worth of planning and PR starts to come together and our great media partners stop by to help us get the word out to be sure that our party with a purpose is a success,” said Ray Kinney who has been heading up the team that developed this year’s marketing campaign with a fresh new website.
Roz will be live every 10 minutes on ABC7’s with her traffic reports and in between opportunities for two and a half hours. She’ll focus on live interviews, cooking rib demos and the big “why” this party with a purpose has become important to many nonprofit service agencies since the first Ribfest back in 1988.
Click any photo to enlarge as Ribfest volunteers and vendors were setting up Knoch Park on June 29, 2016.
[shareprints gallery_id=”62094″ gallery_type=”squares” gallery_position=”pos_center” gallery_width=”width_100″ image_size=”small” image_padding=”0″ theme=”dark” image_hover=”false” lightbox_type=”slide” titles=”true” captions=”true” descriptions=”true” comments=”true” sharing=”true”]This year’s expanded festival will feature lots of live music and entertainment, a carnival, a petting zoo, plenty of festival food and yes, they’ll still have those sizzling smoked ribs and tasty barbecue sauces competing for a Ribfest Trophy.
Roz will identify what’s new and exciting in addition to the traditions that welcome local festival goers back again and again.
For one thing that’s new, Jason Paradise, a 2000 graduate of Naperville Central High School, plans to be there bright and early Friday morning with a few members of his band, J J & Dre. The guitarist now lives in Chicago where he writes original songs that he performs in original style with his six-member band—and then some.
J J & Dre has become a musical amalgamation of rock, blues, funk and soul and now boasts nine members, including two women vocalists, keyboard, guitar, harmonica and bass.
According to Paradise, they do their very best performances live!
J J & Dre will perform at 2016 Ribfest from 6:30 to 8PM Sat., July 2, on the Navistar Main Stage in Knoch Park.
Meanwhile, tune in early Friday morning to ABC7-Chicago for a run down of the expos with free samples, games, bands, entertainment and other amusements that come with the price of general admission of $20 now that all the early bird bargains are sold. With a paying adult, kids 11 and under always are admitted free.
For everything you might want to know about the fun, food and music at Ribfest, visit www.ribfest.net.
Use remote parking and the shuttle whenever possible. See the map posted here.
