September 8 - 10, 2023

Fri-Sat 11am-10pm and Sunday 11am-7pm
Check Out

Check out the food and festivities at Ribfest

A modern-day meat brigade! The best ribbers in town are coming together to serve your favourite meats this summer. Dine at the best barbecue in Calgary with some cold beer, live entertainment, Artisan (vendor alley), 50/50, silent auction, children's fun zone and more! Enjoy delicious ribs hot off the rack with your kids in the family area! If you love giving back, eating well, and spending time with your family, this is the event for you. With free parking and free entry, there isn’t anything standing in your way! Once again the festival has free parking and is free to enter! Is there anything better than a warm summer day spent near the grill? We think not. And we want to share the sticky season with you, Calgary! All donation proceeds go towards the 4 Rotary Clubs of Calgary who, in turn, donate to charities supporting mental health and wellness in our community.  Good food for a good cause, this is meat you can feel good about.  Three examples of charities we have supported are CUPS, I Can For Kids and It's A Crime Not to Read.

50/50: This years 2023 Rotary Ribfest WINNER is taking home $5,552.50. The winning ticket is #B21735! Please claim by Sept 30th 11:59pm.  Reach out via social media or email info@chinookrotary.OTF

Charities

Meet our amazing charities that we will be supporting at this year's YYC Rotary Ribfest!


CUPS
Through integrated programs and services, CUPS builds resilient lives for Calgarians facing the challenges of poverty and trauma.

Learn more here!

Emma House
A non-profit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness among pregnant women and youth.

Learn more here!

I Can for Kids
Supporting a dignified and evidence-based approach to help alleviate childhood food insecurity. The generous support of their amazing donors enables I Can For Kids to deliver a grocery gift card program to thousands of food-insecure children and families each year.

Learn more here!

Rotary Clubs

Brought to you by the Rotary Clubs of Calgary Chinook, Calgary East and Calgary Centennial, the University of Calgary Roteract Club and the Roteract United Club.

A proud non-profit global service organization with 4 of the 13 clubs in Calgary and the area working together, we are thrilled to bring you Ribfest and continue to connect Calgarians and build stronger communities.

The Rotary Club members are dedicated people who share a passion for both community service and friendship. The heart of Rotary is its local Clubs, which bring together dedicated individuals to exchange ideas and build relationships. Clubs are supported by The Rotary Foundation, which turns generous donations into grants that fund the work of members and partners around the world, and Rotary International, which coordinates global programs and initiatives.

Rotary Club

2023 50/50 Results

This year's 2023 Rotary Ribfest Winner is taking home $5,552.59.

The winning ticket is #B21735. Please claim by Sept 30th 11:50pm.

Reach out via social media or email info@chinookrotary.otf.

How The Festival Works

Once you arrive, follow the signs to line up for delicious BBQ. We can't wait to see you!

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1. Come off Crowchild to McMahon Stadium and park in the North parking lot. Parking is free!!

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2. Walk across to the South lot to the Rotary Ribfest YYC entrance.  Admission is free!

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3. Volunteers will provide information and offer the opportunity to donate to Rotary, and purchase a 50/50 ticket.

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4. Find the beer gardens for a nice cold beverage. 

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5. Pick your favourite rib truck (or try all four)!

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6. Find a seat and enjoy your meal along with the great live music.

7. Tell your friends and post on our social media.

Meet The Ribbers

Cooked on cherry wood, low and slow, we've got an incredible selection of vendors for the whole family to enjoy. All of your ribs have been slow-cooked for 5 hours, and your pulled pork for 14 hours. So yes... it's that good.

Blazin' BBQ

Sauce: Sweet & Bold BBQ

Calgary

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Billy Bones

Sauce: Sweet BBQ

Michigan

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Bone Daddy's

Sauce: Sweet & Tangy

Michigan

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Buckeye's BBQ

Sauce: Sweet with Mild Heat

St Louis

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Meet the Judges

On Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm please join us as our amazing panel of Celebrity Judges completes a fun taste test competition to see who really has the best ribs, chicken and sauce. We will award our 2023 Rotary Ribfest YYC trophies to the winning rib truck teams.

Jesse & JD - 2023 Judges Do you wake up with CJAY92? If so, then you'll know these two!
Jay McNeil - 2023 Judge Jay McNeil was a standout offensive lineman for the Calgary Stampeders from 1994 - 2007, earning Canadian Football League all-star recognition on three occasions and West Division all-star honours six times. McNeil was a member of Grey Cup-championship teams in 1998 and 2001.
Rob Cote - 2023 Judge Rob Cote, from Calgary, Alberta, is a retired football fullback who played 10 years for the Calgary Stampeders!
Wild 95.3 Morning Team Wild Mornings with Randy & Justin!
2023 Celebrity Panel Our 2023 panel of judges had a great time and got MESSY with a sampling of ribs and chicken from each of our rib trucks.

Thanks to CJAY92's Jesse and JD, Rob Cote and JayMcNeil, Justin and Randy from Wild95.3 and one of sponsors from Sun Spas!
Best Ribs of Rotary Ribfest 2023 TO BE ANNOUNCED!

Meet the Bands

Our emcee for the festival is Ruth Ferguson, from Always Entertaining (https://alwaysentertaining.yolasite.com) and the DJ is Eric Fryer from DJ Calgary (www.djcalgary.com).

See them at the REMAX stage the entire weekend!

Lori Kole

Friday, September 8 Opener
5:00pm - 7:00pm

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Jeff Catto

Friday, September 8 Headliner
7:30pm - 9:30pm

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Flaysher

Saturday, September 9
12:00pm - 2:00pm

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Scott Pettigrew

Saturday, September 9
4:00pm - 6:30pm

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Steve McQueen Band

Saturday September 9 Headliner
7:30pm – 9:30pm

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The Calverts

Sunday, September 10
12:00pm - 2:00pm

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Randi Boulton

Sunday, September 10
Headliner
4:30pm - 6:30pm

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Meet the Food Trucks and Our Vendors

Join us at YYC Ribfest and experience a fantastic array of Food Trucks and local vendors showcasing their offerings!

We are SO happy to have some tasty treats served from the YYC Food Trucks – they’ll be sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. In addition, take a few minutes to stroll through our Artisan Alley and learn more about the local goods and service providers listed in the drop down menu below.

Rotary’s commitment to supporting local is exemplified by incorporating local vendors at Ribfest, making the event not only a celebration of good food, but also a testament to the spirit of community and support.

We are looking for local artisans who want to showcase their goods and/or services at Ribfest! Please contact Rob at robwolfrotary@shaw.ca for more information.

The Artisan Alley

Fresh bubble milk tea and juice!

Food Truck

In the mystical realm of Southern Alberta, a brilliant culinary enchantress embarked on a quest to concoct a magnificent collection of salsas that would captivate taste buds and ignite the senses. With her magic, she crafted an extraordinary septet of flavors that forever transformed the world of salsa!

The Artisan Alley
The Artisan Alley

Cookie Dough Stand is a family created and operated, award winning company that has taken Alberta by storm with marvellously tasty edible cookie dough!

Food Truck
Food Truck
Artisan Alley
Artisan Alley
YYC Food Trucks
Artisan Alley

Bring the love of woodworking to your home with beautiful, handcrafted furniture and décor. The do-it-yourself workshops allow to complete the Rusted Petal projects with their guidance and no experience is necessary.

The Artisan Alley

A selection of hot sauces using Scotch bonnet peppers. They are an amazing variety of pepper known for their intense heat and fruity flavor. The best things about them are their unique flavor profile, their versatility in cooking and their health benefits.

The Artisan Alley

Hand-made jewellery reminiscent of the bright, bold and beautiful colours of the Founder & CEO’s homeland, Jamaica. Her career in fashion has motivated her to design a collection that represents all of her past and present inspirations.

The Artisan Alley

Family-owned company with quality firewood for indoors or outdoors. We have smoking wood for smokers, and pizza ovens as well as pellets and pellet grills.

The Artisan Alley

Artisan Alley

Using machines designed in 1948, they make “Those Little Donuts”, the best little donuts around. You know, the ones you can’t leave the fair without buying a bag or three of.

YYC Food Trucks

Reusable containers to keep your food fresh and your kitchen organized.

The Artisan Alley

Our Sponsors

FULL RACK
HALF RACK
GIDDY UP
FRIENDS OF ROTARY

Blog

Be sure to check out our Ribfest blog! We'll be adding tips to get you through the summer as well as behind the scenes for our upcoming Rotary Ribfest YYC event in September 2023.

BBQ season
Getting Ready for BBQ Season
With the hot weather in Calgary and in preparation for our Rotary YYC Ribfest coming in September, it’s time to start getting grill-ready!

READ MORE

Ribfest Calgary

Sign up and get notified for the next Ribfest!

We can’t wait to bring back our regular Ribfest festival in 2023, complete with beer gardens and bands in addition to these great ribbers!

Social Media Feed

Congratulations goes out to the lucky holder of our winning  50/50 ticket #B-21735 as you have won $5,552.50. 

Contact us by 11:59pm Sept 30th to claim your prize. 

Please reach out over FB, IG or email at info@chinookrotary.org. 

Thanks for coming to Rotary Ribfest YYC to support our charities.
We can’t WAIT to see Calgary! 🎊

Doors open at 11 AM today and we’re here all weekend.

🎶 LIVE music
🍖 RIBS
🍺 @villagebrewery
🛻 @yycfoodtrucks
🧵 Artisans

It all starts TODAY at McMahon Stadium!! Come down, support the Rotary Clubs of Calgary and the local community 🫶 

#rotary #rotaryribfest #rotaryribfestyyc #mcmahonstadium #calgaryab #ribfest #ribs #livemusic #food #goodtimes
Hello Ribfest enthusiasts! Exciting news, Rotary Ribfest is making waves in Calgary and grabbing the spotlight ⭐️

Make sure to tune in to the morning shows on @wild953calgary and @cjay92rocks over the next week to catch our Ribfest announcements! 

And here's a juicy tidbit: when you join us at Ribfest on the weekend, you cannot miss the chance to witness (and hear) both Morning Show Dream Teams from Wild95.3 (featuring Randy & Justin) and CJAY92 (with Jesse & JD) on the Sunday, September 10. They'll be diving into a delicious rib adventure, aiming to crown one exceptional Ribber with the prestigious Ribfest 2023 trophy. 

This promises to be an absolute blast, and you definitely wouldn't want to miss a moment of it!

Stay tuned for more updates 🙌🏻
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#rotaryribfest #celebrityjudges #cjay92 #wild953calgary #ribcompetition #bestribber #mcmahonstadium #calgaryab #ribfest2023
📣 INTRODUCING 📣 Our 2023 Ribfest panel of Judges. 

Join us for an exciting showdown on the final day of Ribfest (Sunday, September 10) at 2:30 PM at the REMAX Stage. We have an incredible panel of celebrity judges ready to sample the ribs and spice up the competition. 🍖

Each one of our panel members will bring their unique tastes and personalities to the table — it’ll be the ultimate clash of flavors (and opinions) that you won’t want to miss!

The festival is FREE! Come down for the weekend to enjoy live music, delicious food and drink, ribs from four of our Ribbers and tons of fun for the entire family.
ROTARY RIBFEST 2023
Get ready to have a fantastic time at Ribfest 2023! We OPEN the grounds at 11AM where you will start your weekend with a burst of excitement and JOY. 😀 This event is all about bringing the community together for a weekend filled with fun activities, delicious food and a vibrant atmosphere.

Ribfest is more than just a festival, it’s a celebration of community spirit and support. The Rotary Clubs of Calgary, along with our local community, have come together to create an event that's not only entertaining but also serves a greater purpose. 🥰

At the REMAX Stage, Lori Kole is opening our Ribfest at 5PM followed by Jeff Catto at 7:30 PM. Our emcee and DJ for the entire festival are Ruth Ferguson and DJ Eric! 🎶

We can’t wait to see you!
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#rotaryribfest2023 #rotaryribfest #ribfest #calgaryab #mcmahonstadium #saturdayevents #yycevents #funzone #remaxcanada #cjay92 #livemusic  #ribtrucks #yycfoodtrucks