We went on July 4 hoping to see fireworks and hear Melissa Etheridge and the Stray Cats. It was a no to the first and partials for the 2nd two. We got an online discount so buying online isn't always a ripoff. I wasn't crazy about the lack of info for the shuttle service. We took the Metra in and read that shuttles came there, but we go off the train and foolishly crossed over, looking for a bus or a sign. After 10 min we got an Uber, THEN realized where the shuttles were; next time they should post signs on where to look for the shuttle. It was great when we arrived, you gotta go to Just North of Memphis for ribs and PEACH BREAD PUDDING. The mac n cheese was ok, so-so, but I never heard of peach bread pudding, it was to LIVE for! They cleared the park around 6 when no lightning was present, and we stood in the HOT gym across the street. Luckily Melissa had barely started, and we were able to stand outside as nothing major happened yet. We went back in, ate more and missed most of Melissa, then around 8 or so it really was lightning and about to rain, and we just managed to hear the Stray Cats do their #1 song 'Stray Cat Strut'. By 9 the whole thing was cancelled, and we sought out the shuttle buses as the rain started. I may go again next year in a car. read more

Naperville Ribfest - Western music at South gate. - Festivals Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

I came here for the first time on July 6th and had such a fun time! The weather was actually not scorching hot for once, so I was able to fully enjoy what Ribfest had to offer without melting away in the heat. Parking: While there are many paid parking options, there is free parking out there if you don't mind a walk! Considering the fact that I was there for the food, I didn't mind walking it off. Saves me the cash! Tickets: Don't buy tickets online. I knew people who bought online and paid way too much. Because this Ribfest had quite a few event cancellations due to weather, they slashed ticket prices HARD. My boyfriend and I paid $10 for the two of us. Much better than paying $30+ per person! Buy tickets at the door for sure. Food: Omg the ribs were amazing. I highly recommend Texas Outlaw, which was hands-down the best rib offering around. They also made an awesome mac and cheese! I also tried ribs from Johnson's and Memphis but they were nowhere near as good. My only complaint about the ribs is that you are blindly purchasing them. I wish they would put together a little guide about the different restaurants there to help people decide which ribs to try. Since it's pretty easy to get overwhelmed with food and spending here, I recommend ordering the smallest amount of ribs from a booth and splitting that with a buddy. You'll cover more ground this way and will be able to try out more of the rib options without feeling like death. There's plenty of additional food out there aside from ribs. Dippin' dots were a refreshing sweet treat! Bands: I didn't really care about any of the entertainment--I was just there for the ribs. With that being said, the band offered nice background music. No complaints here. Seating: While eating, it's nice to get a seat. They offer lots of communal seating under a tent right next to where the band plays. Getting a seat was not an issue for me at any point. However, people do bring lawn chairs to just plop down anywhere. I think that's a good idea for sure. Sponsors: There are several alleys of sponsors set up at booths. Northwestern had a life-sized Operation game which was a ton of fun, and Arthur Murray dance studio gave out postcards for a free dance lesson. There were quite a few other fun freebies--including the BRILLIANT person who was giving away water, which saved me some cash instead of having me buy it at the food tents--but beware of all the weird home improvement tents. Those people were super pushy and epitomize a hard sell. FYI--Interestingly, I also randomly saw Gov Bruce Rauner here. He told me to enjoy the ribs, which I did, lol. Entertainment: There are lots of carnival rides for which you can purchase tickets, but I think they are a waste of money. There is an entire section of family-friendly and FREE activities to do. This includes a petting zoo, magic show, and plenty more fun giveaways. All in all, I had a wonderful time and am so glad that I went! I'm looking forward to doing it again sometime. This is a perfect summer event and the best summer festival in the 'burbs. read more

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I have actually never been to Ribfest before because it can be a bit of a haul for me to get to and it has seemed pricey in the past. A good friend of mine was involved with the event and invited me down so I decided to give it a try. Leaving at 430pm on a Wednesday evening with traffic it took me approximately 1.5 hours to get there and just under an hour on the way home. We opted to pay park at a local church to sponsor and it was within walking distance of the East gate. It's July, so it's a little steamy out. We get to east gate and I ask where will call tickets are, and there is confusion. I am thinking a box office or booth like will call usually is, but that is not how it works at Ribfest. Will call at Ribfest is a large manilla envelope with preprinted tickets in it. On the outside of the envelope are the hand written names of the folks the tickets are reserved for. But I had yet to realize this is how it works at Ribfest. So where is this envelope? I am told the envelope is at North gate. OK, where is North gate? I learn that North gate is on the complete caddy corner opposite side of the entire event. OK, how do I get to North gate? I am told I am not allowed to enter the venue to cut across to North gate (a straight shot) because technically I do not have a ticket yet. OK, so how do I get to North gate? I am told to drive there or walk there. OK, I already paid to park, not doing that again, and walked to east gate, so now I have to walk to North gate. If you are familiar with the layout, this is the equivalent of going all the way around the block, back down Martin street to Washington street, hanging a left on Hillside, cut over on West. I have diligently included a map for a visual. The bottom line? Not convenient at all. No offer to accommodate, problem solve, think outside the box or help, just North gate. As I was on my way to North gate, I had the thought, what if I was elderly or physically challenged in some way. After a good walk, hotter and sweatier, we arrive at Northgate, still not clear where will call is so I ask some staff, again with the confusion as to what will call is, so they direct me to the GA ticket stand where you purchase tickets. When I inform them I am there to pick up my will call tickets, the first person I speak to tells me they are at East gate. As you can well imagine, I about lost my sh*t ;) A second person who noticed my reaction, clarifies and says no they are here at North gate, they were at East gate previously. Well how do you like them apples. Two thoughts 1) Why could they not have been at East gate when I needed them to be and 2) What is the deciding criteria for where will call tickets are located? Accountability check, had I known there was a specific gate associated with will call, I would have aimed for that gate but I am still not sure what the will call process is here. It is now pushing 7, I arrived around 6. The lady produces the envelope, I see my name on it, I am plus one, she then questions my plus one status. I show my ID, show the text confirming plus one, and after she does a quick check with other staff, finally relinquishes my two passes to me. If I were to put myself in the East gate folks shoes, once I grasped the situation, I would have walkie talkied North gate to verify my claim and once confirmed, have North gate check me off the Will call list and grant me admission at East gate. It is not rocket science folks, obviously Ribfest has some process improvements to pursue. The event itself did a great job of providing enough porta potties in multiple areas so they were convenient and not crowded. The beer stand worked for the most part, but the person helping me did not seem to know what beer types they had. Yes they are posted on the board but if you are not familiar with all the brands and ask if any of them are IPA, perhaps it is reasonable to expect you to know. For the record, no IPA options which I found odd. My guess is options were limited by brand sponsorship. True to the name, there was a sea of ribs and bbq to choose from. We opted for the porkinator (see pic) which was equally obscene and plentiful, more than enough for two people. The grounds are mostly lawn so all the foot traffic can turn it into a mudfest quickly depending on the weather. Where the food is parked, also features amusement rides and local live music stage. The Navistar main stage features national acts brought in special for the event. The evening we were there featured Living Color and Billy Idol, a great double bill if you grew up with them. Both bands still have it after all these years, and some of their hit songs are 30 plus years old now if you can believe it! Billy Idol is 63 years old and looks great. Oddly enough, Living Color seemed louder than Billy Idol, not sure why; but the end result was frustrated fans that kept yelling to turn it up. read more

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Fun 4th of July hangout at Ribfest Naperville. A good selection of BBQ to choose from. Since all of them are award winners, I guess u cant really go wrong with any ribbers. We chose Howling Coyote, tasting their ribs and brisket sandwich. Both were gooey succulent meats. Their apple based BBQ sauce was delicious. Besides the ribs, our kids enjoyed the children area with bouncy castles and the best is a petting zoo, with lots if goats, cows, donkeys, chicken and sheep. There's also a decent sized carnival area with various rides. read more

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One of the best Chicago-area, family-friendly festivals I've been to. We found free parking at a nearby lot, and waited to enter right when the festival opened. Luckily, we went on a not-so-crowded day (aka not the 4th of July), and the weather wasn't as scorching hot as previous days. We came prepared with folding chairs, sun umbrellas, blankets, sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses. It was really fun visiting all of the vendors' booths and spinning wheels for free stuff (sometimes only when you provide your info), taking photos at photobooths, etc. The food was so good; we had Uncle Bub's ribs which won 1st place, and they were so tasty. The carnival area had plenty of rides, and we really enjoyed the petting zoo. There were so many different animals, ranging from chickens to lambs. The music could have been better, but we also didn't go on the headlining day. All in all, a great, fun day. Hopefully we can go next year when it is hosted by Romeoville. read more

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I was really shocked at how much fun this place would be. Although not perfect, it was way better than I thought and was pretty well organized all the way around. Parking varies from $10 and up and apparently there was some magical shuttle roaming around for free but we really couldn't find it. Prices: $20 online for general admission, ribs and food were cash/credit and alcohol were based on the dumb tickets system. Dumb ticket system: You have to purchase drink tickets in increments of 5 ($1 per ticket). So if you want a beer worth 6 tickets, you'll have 4 tickets leftover. And let me just say that the Ribfest Ale (6 tickets) is way better than Miller Lite (5 tickets). For us, the best ribs were from Texas Outlaws and the best sauce was easily Pigfoot. Their hot sauce was addicting and I almost bought a bucket of it. Stuff: Yes, there are porta potties but there was never a line and were nicely surrounded by Purell stations. We also never really had an issue with not having enough napkins because most places would have enough for you to take. But I would say if you're a good boy/girl scout bringing some baby wipes wouldn't be a bad idea. What I really appreciate were the volunteers walking around cleaning up after sloppy people. But because of them, the entire park was pretty clean. Not bad when sticky ribs are involved. Tip for vendors: Most of the rib vendors sold full, half, third slabs of ribs and dinner combos that usually came with beans and slaw for a few bucks more. I REALLY wished that they would have a smaller sampler option. Even the quarter and third slabs ran about $8-10. If each vendor would sell two bones each for $5, a rib lover like myself would be able to try more ribs. I needed to eat more ribs to really determine which one was really superior. Stupid small stomach. read more

Naperville Ribfest - Best ribs-Texas Outlaws Best sauce-Pigfoot's killer sauce - Festivals Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Congratulations to Uncle Mark, family and the Bub Love team for1st Place Ribs,1st Place BBQ Sauce &1st Place Kid's Choice Awards @ Naperville's Ribfest 2019! Ribfest is a great family venue and foodies alike- just bring sun block, folding chairs and maybe a sun umbrella if you want to go all out. #NapervilleRibfest #Naperville #BBQ #ChicagosBest #ChicagoFoodie #ChicagoSuburbs #Ribs #StLouisStyleRibs #1stPlaceRibs #1stPlaceSauce #AmazingTeam #AmazingPeople #CustomerFocused read more

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Ribfest is one of those things that you think of fondly when you haven't been in a while. You bite the bullet and think "just one more time". You sit there with your hair sticking to your face from a mix of both BBQ sauce and humidity. And where are you sitting? At a table stacked high with dirty napkins and styrofoam containers that no one bothered to throw away.... while you listen to Rick Springfield belt out "Jessie's Girl". I tend to prefer my BBQ with clean seats and tables. With air conditioning. But every couple of years, nostalgia calls me back to Ribfest. read more

We visited this annual event today in the 90 degree heat. The vendors are great. Lots of free things for little ones to do in the "family area". They did provide tents for some shade which was nice considering we arrived at 12:30. They offer shuttle buses this year from the south entrance to the north and back. The bbq food area was great as always, too many options to choose. They have funnel cakes which are my favorite and tons of ice cream, Italian ice, and desert stations. Parking is tricky, if u arrive close to opening you can find parking for $15/$20 within walking distance. Otherwise you'll be shuttled in. read more

Like your mood when it's that time of the month or life in general, things change. While I recommend Ribfest for an outing if you're a rib or festival lover, there are a few tips you should be aware of. - Ticket prices are now $20 at the door (not sure if discounted tickets are still available at local grocery stores) - Walking distance Boy Scout lot parking is a $15 donation (since that lot was full, we parked a couple blocks down at a makeshift neighborhood parking lawn for $10) - Carnival games are $3-5 each - Half a slab of ribs will run you about $15; a 3-rib sampler is about $8 - New alert: drink tickets (even for non-alcoholic ones) are sold in increments of 5 or 10, but a bottle of pop is 3 tickets. And yes, we see that large tip bucket on the counter. We see what you did there... - Crowds everywhere! Be prepared! So overall, even if math is not your forte, you can tell that this outing will impact your pocketbook. I enjoyed it this year though! For future reference, I want to try what Texas Outlaws has to offer, and K wants to check out Uncle Bub's. This year, we stuck to Howling Coyote (~30 min wait in line), though the ribs weren't as tender as I remember from that one year. read more

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Picking up ribs from ribfest has become somewhat of a July 4 tradition for us. Sometimes we stay for fireworks, sometimes we don't, but we always go get some ribs. This year we tried Texas Outlaws and Johnson's (Northfolk, VA). Both were meaty and excellent, with the edge (tasty sauce) to Texas Outlaws, this year's first place winner. The sauces were a little milder than I remember from some other years. We usually try a half slab from 2-3 places, at roughly $15 - $18 per half slab or half slab combo. Other perennial favorites from past years have been Desperado's, Armadillos, and Sgt Oink. Ribfest is a nice opportunity to try tasty ribs from around the country. We also try to go during free admission time, unless there is a compelling music act, because if it's only ribs you're after, the $10 admission really makes the ribs sampling an overly-expensive outing. read more

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All around this is a fun event, especially when you go with friends and/or family. i go to ribfest every year, its part of my 4th of july tradition. If you hate walking or being in crowds dont come here, but if you dont mind you'll have fun. Parking: it isnt bad at all, theres lots of free parking near by, you just have to know where to look for it (hint: look near dt) and walk (: Price: You have to pay to get in, tix are $25 and then pay for food and drinks. The food is good i tried some bbq, mac and cheese, chicken nachos, drinks. Most vendors only except cash, so bring cash. They serve food pretty late I think it was 9:40pm when they stopped selling food. Theres alot of fun vendors jeep and ram had a really cool roller coaster type ride. Youd get inside a ram truck and get driven around in it at the end you got a free ram hat. Lots of food vendors giving out free food and drinks. Meijer was there giving out free popsicles. Mentos was giving away free mints. Topo chico was giving away mineral water, blue diamond was giving away almonds, Snyder's was giving away bags of free snacks, luxury bath was giving away free $25 gift cards, there was also free ice cream cups, and free iced tea. Tmobile had a fun booth with music and games. The field museum had raptors that would walk around. They looked very life-like and got everyones attention when they walked by. The music was good i enjoyed sitting on the grass relaxing while listening to the live music. There are also lots of carnival rides and games ,but i didnt do any of those i hate rides and dont care for games. If you have kids there is a family petting zoo with lots of cute friendly animals. The people were friendly and it wasnt too hard getting around. I look forward to coming back next year! read more

Naperville Ribfest - The east entrance gate - Festivals Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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The Naperville Ribfest is good for people that enjoy eating....you can choose to eat ribs from a variety of rib vendors...sometimes the hard part is deciding which rib vendor to eat from because eating samplers gets filling and adds up (costly vs. buying a full slab at one vendor). Everyone has their own preferences on their favorite vendors so it's hard to tell from reviews which vendor is really the best.. I personally enjoyed Armadillos ribs..it was my 2nd time at the ribfest ..so i've tried other vendors as well and from both of my experiences.. Armadillos concluded to be the best out of all the vendors that I tried. Admission Costs -- there is a cost.. but can't recall how much it was...the money goes towards a cause..so that's a good thing! It is cheaper to buy ahead online so I would highly recommend you do so instead of buying it at the entrance... The costs for food/ribs (at most vendors): $7 for sampler ---consists of 3-4 ribs (portions may be smaller/larger/meatier/less meatier depending on vendor) $15 for half slab $25 for full slab Onion Blossom --close to $10.. maybe a little less.. but the portion is huge..can be shared amonst 4+ people... Good to know -usually toward the end of the event.. maybe on the last day?.. if you get there late...they start discounting the full slab ribs because it's the last day and they need to sell it.. so it's the best time to buy!! -highly recommended that you go with a group of friends so you get the most out of your money and can try out more vendors & share the unhealthy fried food!! **Note: if you don't like sitting on the grass there are tables and chairs in select areas.. but it might be easier just to sit on the grass since it's close to all the vendors.. I would go again if I'm craving Armadillo ribs or wanted to try other vendors that are not located in the Chicagoland area...easier to just drive to Naperville than driving out of state for ribs.. read more

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So....Ribfest is a fundraiser to support work in the prevention of domestic violence and child abuse and to strengthen families. That's uno number one. The primary reason for implementation and participation. Second, this fundraiser comes with a cost. $25 per person plus food, drinks and entertainment. (If you buy the tickets online, in advance it's $20) The music and games were free but the rides you pay for. There are lots of food and drink options...and it's not just local venues. Overall, It has a small town feel due to all the space for stretching out. I never felt overcrowded. Everyone there seemed to be having fun. The do not list on the website rules out the majority of the crazies. AND, There were lots of police for security, as a added bonus. Overall, it was a nice day out in the park, and if I were a local I'd probably had stayed for the fire works. p.s. the shuttle service still needs a little work but seemed to flow smoothly once it was up and going. Thanks to Naperville Police for their support in maneuvering through the transit exchanges. read more

Naperville Ribfest - Festivals Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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I absolutely love Ribfest. If you don't mind large crowds, sitting on the grass to eat, carnie rides, and loud (but good) music, then you will have a blast. You have to pay to get into Ribfest. Tickets are $15 at the gate, or $16.50 online. I always buy my tickets online because sometimes they will stop selling tickets at the gate because it gets too crowded and they want to limit capacity. If you've already got a ticket, they'll let you in. I'm sure many of you driving through Naperville this weekend have noticed all the signs for parking. $10 here, $15 there, the parking lot over by Edwards Hospital was charging $20. Don't bother with that. Drive to the North Central College stadium. There are TONS of spots, parking is free, and they will shuttle you over to the fest and back for free. They have tons of booths giving away samples of stuff as you make your way further into the park. They usually have really great bands like Blue Oyster Cult, Steve Miller Band (my favorite), Collective Soul, The Psychedelic Furs, etc. I love the rides and they have tons!! The food is AMAZING, and I think decently priced. Last night we ordered a full rack of ribs from Mojo's with two sides (coleslaw and potato salad) and a dinner roll for $28 bucks. They have different sauces off to the side that you can put on yourself. I covered my ribs with their awesome hickory smoke bbq sauce. Mmmm....We also ordered the pulled pork sandwich ($8), corn on the cob ($5), cotton candy ($5), funnel cake ($10), and loaded bloomin' onion ($10). All of it was sooo good!! There are very few picnic tables scattered about. Usually large families claim them at the start of the day and don't leave til closing (10PM), so if you plan on eating there and watching the bands, I highly recommend bringing a blanket or lawn chairs. If you arrive anytime before 6pm, you shoudnt have a problem finding a place to sit. Now let's talk about the important stuff: Booze!! You cannot bring alcohol into the park with you. When you get there, find a ticket booth, get a 21 and over bracelet (you have to have one otherwise vendors wont serve you), and purchase your drink tickets. Each ticket is a dollar. They only serve miller lite a.k.a. piss water, leinenkugal's summer shandy, and margarita and daquari pouches. The piss water is 5 tickets, so $5, summer shandy was 6 tickets, and im not sure about the margaritas. Not much of a selection, but decently priced I think. This is really a great fest overall. My only complaint is that you have to pay to get in, and that really doesn't include anything except being able to watch the bands, because you have to pay for food, drinks, and to ride the rides. read more

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I really wanted to enjoy this event. I'm somewhat Local to the Naperville area and was looking for something fun to do and decided to give this a try. I was aware there was an admission fee - online it was $5, at the gate it was $10 per person. Was a little surprised by this but went for it anyway. I was really disappointed to walk in and feel like i had just paid to go to a carnival. There was live music that wasn't the headliner which was fine, but the atmosphere was a little weird and felt rather empty for what i thought it was going to be. I did try the ribs they had to offer and some of the food and i don't have much to complain about there - my ribs from pigs feet?? I think, were delicious! I think maybe if you go for the big concert and skip general admission it might be more fun/worth it but if you're looking to go just for "Ribfest", it really wasn't worth it unfortunately. read more

Naperville Ribfest - Festivals Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Ribfest! Fest of Ribs! Let's get started: The best advice I can give is to bring a shit-ton of bottled water (the only thing they'll allow you to bring in from the outside), and, if you're feeling brave, girls, stash pop / beer / whatever in your purse and then pile a bunch of pads and tampons on top of it. Chances are, your bag will be checked by an awkward high school guy who will be too scared to dig through a bunch of lady products. Or: buy a hip flask and wear it under your skirt. Basically, I'm trying to tell you to do whatever you can in order to NOT to buy your booze there, because THEIR PRICES WILL RAPE YOU. Five dollars for a plastic cup of Miller Lite? For serious?? I urge you also to buy your tix ahead of time at Jewel for $8 instead of the $10 you'd pay at the entrance. I know, I know, it's a lousy $2, but even saving that meager amount makes me feel like I'm stickin' it to the Man. Other than that, the music is arright (I saw Huey Louis this year, and he was pretty good) and the food is typical carnie fare + ribs. The corn on the cob is my favorite, although the deep-fried Snickers bar is a close second. Mmmmmm. Oh, and P.S. - Ribfest, like every other fair, carnival, amusement park, concert, etc. - is rife with hilarious people-watching opportunities. If you're a creeper like me, you can sneak a picture of your favorites when they're not looking. read more

A few years ago, this would have gotten 4 easy stars from me. But to me, it's just resting on its laurels now. I had ribs at Smoque a few days prior to Ribfest and they were far superior to the three stands I tried in terms of flavor, spice, and temperature. And unlike Ribfest, Smoque doesn't charge me $15 to enter. Great fresh lemonade though. And the entertainment just isn't what it was. We went from Marshall Tucker Band, Styx, Los Lonely Boys, Randy Travis, etc. to 7th Heaven, the singer from Supertramp, and a few bands that only had one or two decent hits. If I'm going to go back, I'm gonna need better music than what we had this year. And I may shy away from ribs next time too. read more

Naperville Ribfest I HEART YOU! I had a wonderful time at ribfest this year. It was a little crowded, but definitely tolerable. Naperville Ribfest offers lots of food, entertainment, carnival rides, and ROOM to breathe even if there are so many people amongst you. I actually loved everything I consumed at this wonderful event. I shared - filet mignon sliders & kettle chips, 1/2 slab of ribs & coleslaw & cornbread, the LARGE kettle corn (which was as tall as my 4 ft 10 friend LOL), the very fresh lemonade (quenchd my thirst), and the 24 ounce strawberry&banana smoothie (which looked like vegas' tall drinks that you can get down the strip). We also parked at one of the many convenient parking lots, which offered a shuttle. If you go on July 4th, get there at 7:30pm because it is free after that time! Also, be prepared for any type of weather. We got soaked from the random pour down from the cumulous clouds. And, definitely pack foldable camping chairs because the floor can become uncomfortable. I will definitely come back next year and check out the number one ribs, because I was just too hungry to stand in that 20 minute long line. read more

I hate to do it. I really don't want to, but I gotta take away a star. If for no other reason than the fact that my family of four spent nearly $250, maybe more, at this festival this year and that's just too much. We didn't even eat that much since it was 100 degrees. But mostly because we literally ran out of money. We didn't spend a dime on the carnival. It was all on ribs, four ears of corn, a few beers and bottles of water and Dippin Dots. Plus $15 entry per adult and $10 for the church parking, which was totally worth it. This was the lower Monday pricing. But $200 plus just on food and drink at a festival is a bit much. They changed the food samples. And what I mean to say is they did away with the samples entirely. So instead of being able to taste ribs from all the different joints with a three to four rib sampler for $6, we now had to pay $12 for four ribs. That's $3 per single rib bone! Seriously?! The beer selection also stunk. On the rib side they only had Lite for $5 and Lemon Shanty for $6. The MGD available for $5 on the other side wasn't available on the side with the ribs. WTHeck? And, I kid you not, there was no ice cream of any kind on the ribs/family side of the park. None that we could find anyway. Thank goodness for the little Italian Ice cart. It was 100 degrees! Now we've been coming here for years so you'd think we'd have it figured out but they keep changing the set-up. That coupled with the fact that the last two years have been brutally hot, they need to switch it back to how it was last year. Upon entry at noon on the dot, my family made a b-line to the only shaded tree area in the whole park only to find ourselves looking at the back of trailers on the right and port - a - potties on the left. We enjoyed this spot last year because we could be in the shade, be near the family area and playset and still hear the music from the stage. This year we listened to the hum of generators and couldn't hear the music at all. All the ribs are now on this side along with the carnival, family area and a small music stage - much smaller than it used to be. I suppose they thought putting the carnival next to the kiddie area was a good idea for families, but frankly, we hate carnivals and their money sucking games and lame rides. We've always avoided them entirely. We come to this festival for the ribs and the music and were left a bit wanting. The stage on the rib side is now hardly any bigger than the family area stage, though the Hat Head band at 5:30 gave us a bit of a second wind when we came out of our cave to enjoy them in the blazing sun. We will, of course, be back. The friendly volunteers, the cleanliness of the park and the good cause will guarantee that. We love ribs and we love music. Perhaps next year we won't have to worry about three digit heat and we can all sit out on the main lawn. But unless they can guarantee that, I hope they make the tree'd area a bit more enjoyable again. Can you at least move the Sears tent so we can people watch, please? read more

The RIbfest wasn't bad, but also not amazing. The entrance is pretty expensive and I'd suggest bringing cash to avoid the extra fees. I do think the entrance fee is way too much for what you get just by entering, which is why I didn't give more stars. Some of the rib stands were better than others. Try to check out what others are getting before you get your own food. The entertainment ranged throughout the day. There was an Elvis and Johnny Cash impersonators that weren't so bad, just awkward because there was no crowd. On the other hand, a band that played in the evening was AMAZING, so it ranges. Overall not a bad experience if you have some cash to spare. read more

Naperville Ribfest - Rib and pulled pork combo platter plus mac and cheese... it's from whichever stand won best ribs 2016 in Canada. - Festivals Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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Not going to lie...mostly go here to hang out with the friends and family---with that being said--you have to be prepared when you go. It's a type of fest--so yes there will be a junk load of people--expect more during fireworks night. Purchase tickets online--its cheaper than at the gate---if you're going to come in later on the 4th for fireworks--after a certain time it's free to enter (think after 7) You can bring in factory sealed bottles of water----just do it--because lines can be long and food and drink aren't exactly cheap. When we roll in, we roll with baby wipes, paper towels, sunscreen, bug spray, picnic mat, and an empty garbage bag (preparation is key) Are the bands all that exciting---meh----you're not paying for a concert---so don't expect much--it's not like your ears will bleed---but sometimes they do have some decent music. Because there is a bunch of us we usually go in with a game plan to just grab a slab from each place and go to town---- The alcohol is not that exciting--but then again if I was trying to get blasted--this wouldn't be the place. Overall if you go in knowing what to expect---it's not so bad. read more

I'm a bit torn about this but I'll go with the Pros and Cons... PROS: -Ribs galore!! There were many delicious vendors there and I don't think that I had a bad rib! We tried about five different rib joints and our favs were Pigfoot and Desperado's. -Plenty of other food such as the bucket of fries (topped with cheese, bacon and jalapenos!) or corn or cheesecake on a stick or roasted corn or apple dumplings - the list just keeps on going! -You can bring your own water here -Lots of carnival games and rides -Fun music and family friendly -The petting zoo!! -Free samples of stuff and fun booths around Cons: -It is pricey for a ticket - buying it online was $8 but if you can buy it at a Jewel beforehand, it's only $6 (Kids 11 and under are free) -Food is a bit pricey, too and it is cash only so make sure that you hit an ATM beforehand -Drinks are pricey - you can buy pop or water or other drinks there but expect to pay a bit for it! -There weren't that many places to sit except on the grass - next time, we know to bring a blanket or chairs Tips: -Bring your own water (we brought in 8 bottles of water and that sufficed) -Park in the free lots and take the free shuttles there or better yet - take the Metra in and hop on the free shuttle there to Ribfest -Bring your own hand sanitizer (we also had baby wipes which was great, too) because it ran out quickly there read more

Naperville Ribfest - Festivals Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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We have been going to Ribfest for many years, exclusively for the music. Lots of classic rockers. It is always too crowded. Beverage prices are high. This year, they only sold beverage tickets in $10 blocks. If you wanted a $6 wine or beer, you could not get just 6 tickets, you had to buy 10. Didn't like that too much. Also new this year, some one decided to put up a tent that blocked the view for just about everyone, of the main stage. WTF??? Worst design ever. If not for the video screens, you could not see the performers. I like to see the live stage too, so I thought that sucked... You have to come see the warm up act, to get within any decent sitting position. Sheryl Crow put on a great show. Sounded wonderful, the sound system was adjusted beautifully. Her band was pretty tight I thought. On the way out when it was pretty dark, some police were handling flashlites right B4 the exit. My 1st thought was, that's nice, they are helping us see to get out. Then I heard them tell a guy with a beer to chug it or dump it. They were simply looking to let no one leave with any booze in hand. So much for being thoughtful! read more

This event is a great time... If your are looking for anything healthy to eat, think again. Ribs everywhere BUCKETS of fries. Funnel cakes, corn on a stick, fried veggies. We went to the evet in the 4th right after it rained, so it was not that packed. All in all it was a great 4th read more

Naperville Ribfest - Ya man - Festivals Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

It's fun and relaxing. Grab a cup of beer and some ribs and sit in the grass and eat. I really enjoyed the onion bloom. The ribs were good, but nothing too great. It is a bit pricy though! I would say to go check it out though! read more

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I can't believe that I wasted just under $300 for VIP when General admission got closer to the stage. Very disappointed. The food was mediocre and nothing to brag about. I won't be going again anytime soon. read more

Save your hard earned money, this event is super expensive and not worth it! Tons of walking and crowded like you wouldn't believe! Parking is a real joke so you use their shuttle bus and it drops you off at an entrance you cannot enter then you have to walk half a mile to another entrance! SAVE YOUR MONEY AND TIME, FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO read more

I will never attend Naperville ribfest again..I bought a ticket for almost $200.00 to see the Stray Cats on July 4th, 2018. Included in this ticket is GUARANTEED front of stage access. On the day of the show, the concert was postponed for about an hour and a half due to severe weather. Everyone evacuated the park. Perfectly understandable. However, when the park reopened, and the concert was to take place, Joel Carlson, the vice president of the event decided to let all of the hundreds of attendees access to the entire front of stage area for FREE! I could not get to the area that my 200 dollar ticket guaranteed that I was to occupy. While still at the event, and not believing that they could actually do such a thing, I attempted to talk to someone in charge about how they planned on compensating me for this, but the only answer I got was from a very nice and apologetic volunteer who offered me a ticket for a free rib dinner. I declined, and instead gave her my phone number and asked her to have Joel Carlson call me. He never did, and despite me sending many emails and private messages to their event page, as of July 17th, 2018, I still have not received a call or a message. What a complete scam, and I feel this could possibly even be illegal. Think twice before buying an event ticket at Naperville Ribfest. I will never attend again, and will make sure that I tell everyone that I know (and don't know) how I was completely ripped off by this organization. read more

Where to begin. Being a wanderer I always find myself experiencing so many things and anyone like me knows that sometimes you have a bad time. This would have to be one of the worst times I have ever had and I had people with me which only compounded the torture. Let us begin with trying to get to the fest. I've been on forced marches with a shorter distance. I was fortunate enough to have a complete stranger hand me his computer printout of 1 ticket. Had to reach into my pocket (something I found myself doing ALOT!) . Walked the promotion gauntlet, still no ribs in sight. Thought I walked past Lawrence of Arabia, its a silly long walk. Get to the field and.......what the heck is this? Maybe this is what people do in Naperville. I'm tired, my friend is tired, her daughter is also tired. Now we have to stand in line under a oppressive sun? One min slowly turns into 15 and still no rib or beverage has passed my lips. We look at each other with this we can't believe this is a "thing". Finally some movement in the line. As we get closer I tell the ladies to find someplace to sit. Get to the window and I'm told that it will cost $15 for 4 bones. 4 BONES!!!!!!!!!!! Are you people high?????? So between us we consumed 4 par-boiled bones covered in sadness they would call sauce and 2 bottles of tepid water. I just found out that the fest is for charity, so I'm so cool with that. Might I suggest that instead of the fest, just ask people for the money, it would be more honest. The following remarks are for the pit-masters. Please stop what you've doing. I got the bones from the stand with the most awards and if that is the best, the rest of you guys should just take a flamethrower to your stands and the guy with the most awards, yes you to should scrap your spot. I make sure to let everybody I know that your ribfest is far and away one of the worst experiences to ever have. read more

Not a fan. My boyfriend and I were so disappointed and would absolutely never go again. There's no where to sit, shit everywhere, not enough- if you can find any- recycling containers even though 90% of the waste there is recyclable. The cost to get in is a total rip off along with being way too expensive and the tickets for food are insane! PS- don't bother looking for free water... you'll need to buy $2.50 a bottle water from the soda machines set up there. Last year, 4 of the machines we went to were out of water, then we finally found 1 vending machine that wasn't sold out and the water was hot. Yick, thanks for the melting plastic cancer toxins. A lot of the ribs were from places you could get anywhere or places that I think serve the same things for stupid expensive prices for a fest but under different brand names. I was really turned off by the whole atmosphere the last time we went and we will surely never be back. Just wait for Naperville Spring Fling- free fun, better vendors, and a less "trapped" feeling. read more

I struggled to give Ribfest 3 stars, it's more like 2-2.5. However, there are some great causes that benefit from Ribfest (donations for abused children, etc.), and that counts for something! THE SKINNY: - Ribfest is vastly overhyped and overrated (Trust me - Jesus Christ is not doing a miracle session, and John Lennon and Elvis are not performing...note my sarcasm). UNLESS YOU ARE A RIB CONNISSEUR, this is just a larger version of one of the MANY community "summer/carnival" type fests that are all over the area between the end of June and about the middle of August. - VERY EXPENSIVE: I have been to Ribfest about 3 times in the past 12 years or so. When I first started going, I think tickets were 8-10 bucks, that is just to "get in." Tickets now are $15 a person. That DOES NOT INCLUDE PARKING ACCOMODATIONS. Sorry, the more I think about these costs, they are just CRAZY. You can get tickets a bit cheaper at say Jewel for 12.00, but still. $12?? Come on people, you might as well just go to Taste of Chicago... or any of the other handful of town festivals for less than half that price. - PARKING: Parking is very congested and hard to find. More often than not, people have to end up paying to park in designated lots or garages. This adds to the cost of the entrance fee. Between parking and entrance fee, you are now near upwards of probably $25-$35. There is a shuttle-bus system, but like anything else, that has its own set of pros and cons. - FOOD: EXPENSIVE. I have rarely eaten here, but it's simply common-sense to see that food vendors gouge prices (drinks are sold on a 'ticket system"). You could go to the best rib restaurants in the area and end up paying less overall. Kinda like at a ball-game, everybody knows the food is outrageously overpriced (i.e. beers for $7), but people still buy them anyways. P.S. I am not saying the beers here are $7, I was just using the sports game analogy as a rough comparison. - Carnival rides/games - obviously EXTRA. - CROWDED, MESSY ATMOSPHERE. Few tables, and you tend to see garbage all over. Always crowded with people, but that's to be expected. Also keep in mind events like these are MAGNETS for droves of younger people who come out with their friends and do little more than loiter because they have nothing better to do - I myself was part of this crowd some years back. You will see hoodlums here, but even moreso at the cheaper (or free) fests. - PORT-O-JOHNS (Bathroom facilities): No comment. I feel sorry for women that have to sit in these things. Heaven forbid those that have to do a #2 - you're literally better off eating the $15 entrance fee, and going home (or some other location outside of the fest) for your own comfort and safety. - BANDS: Bands are usually good. This is one of the few fests where some of the bigger (and/or once bigger) acts come thru. You are obviously PAYING for this, though. Crowds do tend to get very large and it can feel like "unsafe congestion." **(Fine print note:) Most people don't realize this, but 90% of the time, the bands do NOT hang around after the show to take pics, sign stuff, etc. There is some regulation in the guidelines of Ribfest itself where they do NOT want the bands doing this - as it adds to crowd congestion and inhibits on the flow of foot traffic afterwards. Sometimes a member or two of a band will quickly hang around, but Ribfest does NOT like this. If a band like BOC does NOT hang around after a show, you now know it was in their contract NOT to do so. Probably best not to bring your photos or albums and wait around for meet and greets, its probably not going to happen. OVERALL: Just over-hyped, expensive, hectic and not all what people make it out to be. You can get almost the same atmosphere at many other summer-type fests in the area and not spend as much. For example, Lombard Fest only charges $3 and they usually have some good acts (past and present) come thru - 90's heavy rock band FILTER is playing there this Saturday night July 5th, and they were pretty big in their day. Lisle Fest is $6 and is also cool. Arlington Heights Fest is just as big, and it is FREE To get in there - and they have had some big acts as well over the years, including Brett Michaels last year. Each time I went, I left after a few hours and just was like "meh...I could have gotten almost the same experience at say Hoffman Estates Fest for free." Maybe it's just me. Many people obviously love this tradition and I respect their opinions, and I do appreciate how much of the revenue from Ribfest supposedly goes to help great causes. Just 2-2.5 out of 5 for me. If you are coming for 'ribs only', I can semi-recommend this. If you are coming for mainly a "fest atmosphere" or "music" or "something to do with carnival rides", I DO NOT recommend. There are plenty of other fests that are cheaper, less stress, and less hectic with basically the SAME EXACT content if you do your research. read more

People still attend this? It's crowded, expensive, and washed up musicians perform here. Last I was aware, I think tickets were $12/person. That doesn't include any food or beverages. That gets you the right to walk around the premises. If you're trying to track down the best ribs, you'll probably save money by reading a few local reviews and going to that restaurant for a meal. Otherwise you pay $5-7 for a sample or portion of food. Napkins are limited, there is nowhere to sit, and beverages of any variety are priced as if you were at a concert. There is really nothing here for people who aren't obsessed with ribs. Lisle's Eyes to the Sky is a much better local fest. There's a bigger variety of food and the entry fee is only about $5. read more

If you are between the ages of 8 and 22 sure why not, give it a shot. Otherwise, no, just no. Overpriced, overcwowded, overhyped and it's in Naperville. Need I say more? read more

I'd like to give this one star, but my kids have so much fun that I'll be generous and give it 2. Seriously, Naperville, you can't do better than this crappy gouge of an event for 4th of July? $10 to get in, which gets you admission to the music stage. This year we had the opportunity to see Styx (who put on an awesome show), but my kids had zero interest in that. So for my $10, we got accosted by all these vendors selling timeshares, cars, windows, and a whole bunch of other crap that you find at the Auto Show, etc. Literally these people were hounding us to come to their booths, and there was no easy way to navigate around them. Incredibly annoying. The family area is fun, I'll say that was worth close to $10 for admission. My kids loved the petting zoo, the bungee cord run, the magic show (the Magician and his wife were awesome!), and the bounce houses. The food. Please, if you know barbecue (not grilling, not BBQ, REAL whole hog barbecue) this is NOT barbecue. I've also never seen "boneless ribs" a.k.a. McRib at a real barbecue joint. Frankly, no self respecting pitmaster would ever serve boneless ribs, nor would they need to. I can't remember which place we went to, but we had ribs, brisket, and pulled pork. The trio weren't bad, but they also weren't that great. I couldn't detect even a hint of smoke in the food- which is what real barbecue is. Again, the food wasn't bad, and it wasn't even that expensive ($20 for 3 dishes is not bad), but it wasn't what I was hoping for. Carnival. Crazy expensive. 20 tickets for $20. One ride is like 5 tickets.... that's easily going to run $80 for two kids to have a great time. Total ripoff. So much of a ripoff that I felt the need to write this review. I'll go to Six Flags and get more bang for my buck. Anyway, this event is not a very good use of your time or money. The bands can be cool, but if you are expecting great barbecue forget it. Bringing a family of 4 to this event will easily run you $200 for the day. Next 4th of July we're going to Hilton Head. Hopefully someone from Exchange Club reads Yelp and makes some changes. I see I'm far from the only one that thinks this sucks. read more

Oh Rib Fest , Oh Rib Fest...Oh how much I love thee.That being said...I have to say I LOVE Rib fest. I have been going here for over 6 years. As a rule of thumb we(hubs and I ) never take weekend trips around this weekend, primarily because we do not want to miss out on this event. The grounds are huge, you need to buy a ticket to get in. We usually take picnic chairs and a blanket. The grounds can be wet sometimes(due to rain) so the blanket comes in handy. There are plenty of activities for kids as in rides, face painting etc. My all time favorite is the "Awesome Aussies". The sauce is excellent as is the meat.I don't know how they cook it so well. The curly fries this year was a tad greasy, but I still ate 'em all. read more

This is a great event if you want to watch morbidly obese people who are barely dressed (covered with tattoos all over their body) consuming greasy food all while displaying repulsive-like manners. There's nothing more appetizing than to see a flock of sweaty wildebeests lick each greasy finger only to utilize it as a toothpick to clean their teeth. B/n the body/alcohol odor and the visuals, it's enough to make you vomit. This reminds me a lot of the Taste of Chicago, which is not saying much. Who wants to pay $15 admission to stand under the hot sun trying to eat ridiculously messy ribs? The admission, btw, does not include food or drinks. This is the ultimate in Midwest fun. The only good thing about this festival is that if you want to lose a few pounds, come here and watch the unwashed masses gorge on greasy food. It'll turn your stomach. Never again. read more

Very disappointed. We paid a lot of money to come here for Independence Day to see one of the main acts. One and a half songs into the set, they shut everything down claiming that there was an impending "weather event." Said weather event never materialized and they had every one waiting around for over an hour. Still not sure what is going to happen with the concert, but over all I'm not a satisfied customer. read more

Fantastic food!! Admission in 2012 was... meh. First: the food is great! If you know what vendor's ribs you want, go all out. First timers: buy the 1/3 orders: $12. You get 4-5 ribs (perfect for 2 people) and you can try lots more vendors. Texas Outlaws: tender ribs, falling off the bone, flavorful sauce. Definitely worth it. Armadillo: it's a fattier rib with a lot of seasoning. Highly tasty, no regrets, just different. Johnson's: hearty, full meaty feeling, not as spicy (my taste buds require a lot of spice) Plenty of other foods: soft drinks, funnel cakes, hot dogs, etc. Carnival rides and games aplenty. Live bands. People bring lawn chairs with sun shades (smart). Picnic coolers were NOT allowed in 2012. ******************* Updated for 2013 ******************* Getting there: Early Bird tickets online: $12 Tickets at gate: $15 Children 11 & under: Free Online: you're given options to buy tickets to see bands. I believe this DOES include admission, it's just not specified. It's difficult to say. I tried calling the Ribfest people in 2012 but couldn't reach anyone. At Gate: They no longer offer the option to buy tickets at Jewel; hopefully they will have enough ticket booths (they didn't in 2012). In 2012: an ATM was available at the north gate. Location: http://www.ribfest.net/event-info/directions-to-ribfest Knoch Park, Naperville Illinois (South of I-88 and west of I-355; south of downtown Naperville) Parking: The site offers a PDF map with parking locations but it's not as detailed as it could be. Yellow school buses pick you up/drop you off. Below I offer approximate street addresses because I find this easier than searching for "North Central College" and then Google asking me which specific place because it found five of them in various towns. Closest: North Central College 330 South Brainard Street, Naperville IL (intersection of South Brainard Street & Highland Avenue, Naperville IL) I usually use this one; more parking: 1 block east 2nd Lot: Neuqua Valley High School 2360 95th St, Naperville, IL (near 95th Street & Plainfield/Naperville; closer to 95th Str. & Book Rd.) I've NEVER been here. Google maps shows the parking lots are along 95th Str. Did you see their Google profile pic? There's some orange girl on there. Hahahahaha. 3rd lot: Naperville North High School 899 Mill St, Naperville, IL (intersection of West Ogden Avenue & Mill Street, Naperville IL) I've NEVER used this lot before. Google shows there are three parking lots here. I don't know which one you're supposed to use. If you're not driving, the Burlington Northern Metra (BNSF) from Union Station will get you there. Check the site for more info: http://www.ribfest.net/event-info/directions-to-ribfest http://www.ribfest.net/event-info/parking-and-shuttle-map Like most public events be prepared to spend. read more

This used to be a very good event. This year something happened. The ribs were just okay, the pulled pork was a bit dry, but the most disappointing part was the problem with the music on Saturday night. It was not loud enough and I've heard other people around me in the VIP tent talking about the same issues. This happened for all three bands that were playing that night. The volume kept going in and out, it sounded muffled at times, and as far as bad company, this should be there goodbye tour. Especially after playing that song called "Happy". That sounded like my six year old granddaughter wrote it. Maybe they figured they are not going to be in Naperville next year so they said the hell with it. As far as the people working for the fest I found them to all be and very nice to talk to. read more