The Exchange Club of Naperville has announced it will end Ribfest moving forward, according to a Facebook post from the organization Tuesday afternoon.
The post cited financial struggles after the COVID-19 pandemic as the main reason for shutting down the festival.
“It is with great sadness that we will not be able to continue on with Ribfest in the future,” the Exchange Club of Naperville said in the post. “We can be proud of the years of service we have given to our town and families.”
Entertainment Chair of Ribfest Diane Simmons declined to comment at this time.
Ribfest returns in Wheaton after pandemic
The first Ribfest was held in Naperville in 1988 on Rotary Hill. The annual multi-day festival moved to Knoch Park the following year and stayed there for the next 30 years.
Ribfest raised money for local charities under the slogan Party with a Purpose, with its main focus on preventing child abuse and domestic violence. According to the Exchange Club’s post, the organization raised more than $22 million for over 75 local agencies through Ribfest.
Many local nonprofit organizations not only volunteered at Ribfest but depended on it for their annual distributions.
Rib vendors, famous musical acts over the years
The festival drew in ribbers from around the country, bringing family-friendly fun, and featuring all kinds of musical acts.
In 2007 and 2008, the Exchange Club made $1 million each year with acts like Randy Travis and REO Speedwagon, repeating that success in 2016 and 2017 with Sheryl Crow and Toby Keith taking the stage.
“Having to do primarily with entertainment, that’s really what we’ve learned over the years, that’s the big thing that drives people to Ribfest,” said former Ribfest chairman Bruce Erikson in 2019. “The ribs are important and that kind of gives us a hook. But there wasn’t a particular year where all of a sudden Ribfest just took off.”
The Exchange Club was forced to move the event from Knoch Park after the grounds underwent renovations, with 2019 being its final appearance in Naperville. Ribfest was then canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As our lease expired in Naperville, there was not another location in town that we were offered that could hold the event,” said the Exchange Club of Naperville in the post. “Covid came and we were not able to host the event for two years.”
It returned in 2022 to the DuPage Event Center & Fairgrounds in Wheaton, but the Exchange Club noted financial struggles made Ribfest unviable going forward.
“The costs of the event post covid were very high, and we were not able to generate enough income to be profitable,” the Exchange Club of Naperville said in the post.
This year’s Ribfest would have been the 35th.
“Our impact will live on in our community because of our years of dedication and service to our community,” the Exchange Club of Naperville said in the post.
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