The inaugural Woodbine Ribfest, presented by Budweiser, will feature mouthwatering BBQ from multiple North American award-winning rib teams on August 25-27 at Woodbine Racetrack along with access to a live viewing of the highly-anticipated Mayweather vs. McGregor fight.
Festival patrons will enjoy delicious ribs and BBQ, the Budweiser Big Rig, food trucks, live music, family fun including a children’s play area with bouncy castles, plus unique horse racing experiences all weekend long during Woodbine Ribfest. Admission is only $5 (cash only at the door) and free for children 12 years old and under. A portion of the proceeds from admission will go to Woodbine Cares charities.
Woodbine Ribfest attendees can watch the fight of the century live on pay-per-view in the Budweiser Paddock on Saturday night as undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. comes out of retirement to take on UFC star Conor McGregor. Ribfest attendees will have access to the paddock viewing or tickets can be purchased for $15 after 9:30 p.m. for fight night.
“We are looking forward to hosting the inaugural Woodbine Ribfest and offering our guests this new entertainment experience,” said Daniel Caulfield, Head of Corporate Partnerships, Hospitality and Events Sales at Woodbine Entertainment. “We have some great ribbers set to join us for the weekend and would like to thank our sponsorship partners Budweiser and OLG Slots at Woodbine Racetrack.”
Produced in coordination with Ontario Festival Group, Woodbine Ribfest will showcase five top North American rib teams including Camp 31, Billy Bones, Hawgs Gone Wild, Sticky Fingers BBQ and Pistol Pete´s Oklahoma Smokehouse. These pit masters will be looking to add to their trophy collections in a taste-testing competition that will see awards presented during closing ceremonies on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. for categories including Best Ribs, Best Pulled Pork and Best Sauce.
A rib-eating competition will also be held on Saturday for both adults and kids.
“Ontario Festival Group has produced many successful festivals in the province and we are excited to partner with Woodbine for this family-friendly weekend of food and music in the Toronto community,” said Rick Brooks, CEO of Ontario Festival Group, which has coordinated events such as Bradford Ribfest, Bradford Food Truck Festival, Downsview Park Ribfest, Owen Sound Ribfest and Innisfil Ribest.
On Friday, live music will be provided by country music band Chicken Fried, a tribute to the Zac Brown Band; rock band Green River Revival, a tribute to CCR, rocks the stage on Saturday; and reggae band Circle 5, featuring The Sattalites lead singer Fergus Hambleton, headlines on Sunday.
Woodbine Ribfest Event Hours:
Friday, August 25
Ribfest: 4 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Post Time: 6:45 p.m.
Saturday, August 26
Ribfest: 12 p.m. – 1 a.m.*
Post Time: 1 p.m.
Fight Night: 9:30 p.m.
*event will end after the broadcast of the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight
Sunday, August 27
Ribfest: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Post Time: 1 p.m.
For more information on #WoodbineRibFest, click here.
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
