Canada's Largest Ribfest is the name of an annual ribfest food festival held in Spencer Smith Park by the lake shore in Burlington, Ontario.[1] The Burlington Lakeshore Rotary Club organizes the four-day-long Ribfest to raise money for charity[2] during the Labour Day weekend.
Canada's Largest Ribfest | |
---|---|
Begins | 06 September 2021 |
Frequency | Annual |
Location(s) | Spencer Smith Park, Burlington, Ontario, Canada |
Inaugurated | 1996 |
Participants | approx. 175,000 |
Website | http://www.canadaslargestribfest.com/ |
The Burlington Lakeshore Rotary Club held the first Ribfest in 1996, then simply called the Ribfest.
By 2001, the festival had expanded to include ribs from 12 traveling rib teams.[3]
The 2004 festival anticipated about 150,000 people eating 36 tonnes of ribs. It was called the Maple Leaf Pork Rotary Ribfest that year.[4]
In early 2009, the Burlington Ribfest rebranded itself as "Canada's Largest Ribfest"—with its logo redesigned by Little Green Tree.[5] In September, 175,000 people and 18 rib teams attended the 14th annual Canada's Largest Ribfest, consuming 150,000 lbs of ribs over the weekend.[6][7] An estimated $320,000 was raised for local charities.
In 2010, the Canadian Federal government provided Can$98,610 in funding for the Ribfest as part of a Can$100 million Marquee Tourism Events Program fund.[7][8][9]
2020, 2021 and 2022 saw drive-thru Ribfests due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
In 2003, an economic study was conducted on "Canada's Largest Ribfest." It found that almost 50% of visitors to the Ribfest come from outside Burlington. About 100% of those who came to the Ribfest would recommend it to out-of-town friends and/or relatives. About 69% said they would attend in 2007. About $1.8 million is being spent in the region by consumers.[10]
The Ribfest's funds are split to local organizations, business, and hospitals.
This is some of them:
43°19′18″N 79°47′54″W / 43.3218°N 79.7982°W