I rode past Knoch Park about a week after Ribfest ended this year. The large space seemed to be comfortably breathing as the baseball diamond glistened like a finely cut gem. I turned off of West Street and found a place to pull over. It seemed necessary to hear that ground exhale; a ground that many Naperville residents have deemed sacred over the years.
I was fortunate to make it to two great evenings of music this year, and the performances were unforgettable once again. Living Colour and Billy Idol provided a large catalog of hits, while Grand Funk Railroad and Bad Company brought huge legendary swagger to the stage. And, stuck in between all of this was a fabulous new artist known as ZZ Ward.
But, as I stood at the edge of Knoch, I started to reminisce about my family’s first year at Ribfest almost 20 years ago. I had two toddlers at that time, and I can remember seeing the excitement in their eyes.
The two things I probably love most in my life are music and family, and Ribfest has always been a celebration of those two things. So, when I attended the final day of this year’s Ribfest with both of my adult children by my side once again, I felt as if my last Ribfest in Knoch Park was really not a whole lot different than my first all those years ago. I was still surrounded by the things I love, and I still saw that same excitement in the eyes of my children.
