Yes, Ribfest will return to the DuPage County Fairgrounds – in September

Ribfest is set to return to the DuPage County Fairgrounds in September, ending months of uncertainty about its future.

The entertainment lineup and barbecue menu still are hazy, but Jim McGuire, executive manager of the county fair association, confirmed Ribfest will be back at the fairgrounds in Wheaton. A celebration of the art of grilling, Ribfest will be held over three days – Sept. 15-17 – instead of four.

“We’re still working through some of the details,” McGuire said July 11, but Ribfest is “moving forward in the right direction.”

For decades, Ribfest reigned over the suburban summer festival season with star-studded performances, championship quality barbecue, thousands of volunteers and a grand finale: a Fourth of July fireworks display over Naperville’s Knoch Park.

After a pandemic hiatus, organizers mounted a comeback last year, cooking up a scaled-back version of Ribfest at a new venue – the fairgrounds – during Father’s Day weekend.

The Exchange Club of Naperville, a civic group in charge of Ribfest, has released little information about this year’s event beyond the new dates, urging fans to stay tuned for an announcement about the bands. Exchange Club board members did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.

Past performers were as varied as barbecue techniques. Hootie & the Blowfish, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, country legend Loretta Lynn, the “Club Can’t Handle Me” rapper Flo Rida and Pitbull, Mr. Worldwide himself, all have made Ribfest a destination.

McGuire said concerts will be staged all three days of Ribfest. Organizers are adjusting the layout slightly, moving crowds to a “more comfortable area” to watch concerts from a sprawling lawn on the northwest quadrant of the fairgrounds, McGuire said.

Organizers initially discussed holding the event again in June. The Exchange Club settled on the September dates because of a number of factors, McGuire said. Barbecue hounds will enjoy more pleasant weather.

“I think they were waiting to find the right talent,” McGuire said.

Organizers last year had to scramble to find a new headlining act when country star Toby Keith canceled his opening night Ribfest concert after disclosing he had been undergoing treatment for stomach cancer.

The Exchange Club has raised millions of dollars through Ribfest for charities supporting survivors of child abuse and domestic violence.

“We’ve never had a last-minute cancellation like this, but we are committed to our ticketholders and will honor their support for our mission,” then-Ribfest chairwoman Bev Schafman said in a statement at the time.

Renovations to Knoch Park forced organizers to look for another site after a final hurrah in Naperville in 2019. The pandemic derailed what was supposed to be the first Ribfest in Romeoville. On-site parking and ample space made the fairgrounds an attractive venue.

Seven “ribbers” competed in the 2022 barbecue competition.

“The lines were long for the ribs,” McGuire said. “People truly enjoyed it.”

Organizers have applied for a special event permit and liquor license from Wheaton, City Manager Mike Dzugan said. That request will go before the liquor commission and, ultimately, the City Council.

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