CORNWALL, Ontario – Bigger and better than ever, the Cornwall Seaway Lion’s Club Ribfest opened in Lamoureux Park on the afternoon of Thursday, July 21.
The heat did not keep people away as people started showing up more than an hour before the opening ceremonies of Ribfest that were scheduled for 5 p.m.
There were six ribbers this year and 36 vendors.
The biggest change was the extension of Ribfest from three days to four.
“This is the best Ribfest for miles around,” said Ribfest Chairperson John Lucio. “The overwhelming demand made us extend Ribfest to four days this year.”
A new electronic feature incorporated into Ribfest this year were the voting stations. Located around Lamoureux Park were signs with QR codes that could be scanned that allowed Ribfest goers to vote on their favourite ribber.
At the event was Mary Patrick, an Olympic hopeful who hopes to represent Canada for marksmanship at the 2016 Rio Summer Games.
The Lion’s Club has supported Patrick by providing her with equipment to improve her training for the Olympics. In return, Patrick was more than happy to support the Lion’s Club all weekend at the festival.
Lucio said that events like Ribfest help the Lion’s Club raise the money they need to help the community.
“Helping Mary Patrick was an opportunity to really help someone local who was really striving for something,” Lucio said. “Ribfest and the Lion’s Club are all about raising money to put money back into the community for people like Mary and causes like the hospital.”
Lucio said that Ribfest would not be possible without the support of the community and his team of volunteers from the Lion’s Club.
