A Good Ribbing

     Needless to say, there were more things going on this past weekend than a big nerdfest up in Rosemont.  One of those other things that went down was in the Lincoln Center neighborhood, and was called Ribfest.  Entering its 15th year, the fest stretches for 2 blocks and always manages to bring in the crowds.  This year was no exception.  The action started off on Friday with Ribmania V, the fest's annual rib-eating contest(yes, there is such a thing).  The previous night an amateur competition had been held, with members of the public getting a chance to prove their rib-eating mettle.  The contestants even included a United States Congressman.  At the end of the amateur competition, Sean Nichols was declared the winner and moved on to face the professional eaters(once again, yes there is such a thing) in the main competition.  For the main heat, Miki Sudo took the crown by chowing down 4.8 pounds of ribs in 8 minutes, an effort which she won $2,000 for.

     But a celebration of gluttony wasn't all that Ribfest had to offer, far from it.  The fest also offered a Kid's Square, which gave the younger attendees a chance to enjoy inflatables, minigolf, dancing, games, stories, plays, and music.  For the older attendees, there were things to do as well, such as two separate music stages pumping out tunes almost as fast they could be played.  Some of the more inventive band names were Two Ton Jack, Goldford, Fort Frances, Warm Ones, Big Paraid, and of course, The X Ambassadors.  But when people come out for Ribfest, they're expecting ribs.  And the fest did not disappoint, with 15 different Rib vendors present and selling at the festival.  Eateries such as Wrigley BBQ, Uncle Bub's BBQ, The Piggery, and(of course) Robinson's #1 Ribs kept the crowd well fed.  Ribfest 2014 was a success, and keep your eyes peeled for mention of some of these restaurants in an entry next month...