HUNTINGTON -- For much of the summer, Joe Young has been in South Point getting his game together.
Carrying the tradition of his father's Bacon's Barbecue, Young knows that when you cross the Ohio River in early August, it's sweat-pouring, hickory-smokers rolling and sauce-slathering game on.
Young, whose dad's Bacon's Barbecue has racked up People's Choice, Best Ribs and Best Sauce at previous Ribfests, joins five other nationally-traveling rib and BBQ vendors in battling for cash, trophies and bragging rights as the 13th annual Huntington Rib & Music Fest sets up for a smoking good time of food, national-act music and fun at Harris Riverfront Park. It's a four-day event.
"This is the main event we wait on all year long," Young said. "We're a local commodity, and it gives us a chance to see where we rank up against the big guys."
Huntington Rib & Music Fest hours are 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7; from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8 and Saturday, Aug. 9 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10.
After 5 p.m. each day adults are $5. Sunday, admission is $1 for Coca Cola Family Day for adults. Children 12 and under are admitted free all weekend compliments of Tri-State Family.
Admission is $2 for adults before 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Except for lunchtime on Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. when admission is free.
Young said he's proud to carry on his family tradition of making slow-smoking ribs, pulled pork and chicken to perfection.
"He put a whole lot of time and work into trying to get that great mix that people enjoy," Young said. "He always loved to serve a good meat and a good sauce."
Since many of the vendors have been coming for a decade, it's like a small reunion of sort, said Amanda Weiss, marketing director at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena, which puts on Ribfest.
"They're kind of like our family too," Weiss said of the vendors. "Many of them have been with us for years."
In addition to choosing from and then voting on the best ribs and sauce, Ribfest goers can also enjoy a number of specialty food vendors such as Dippin' Dots, Rick's Lemonade, Strawberry Express, Kettle Korn and Sherry Stidham's "Bloomin' Onion," a vendor making a return to Ribfest after a number of years absent.
Building on last year's crowds that saw record attendance, including more than 3,500 on Saturday, Ribfest will again feature nightly national-act entertainment. This year there is a reduced nightly admission of $5, and it is free for children.
Weiss said surveying the nationally-traveling rib vendors last year caused them to make a couple changes for this year.
"On the last day we always get everybody's feedback, and it's important because they all go to about 20 shows a year," Weiss said. "We took their advice and put it into motion."
In response, Ribfest has dropped its nightly price to $5 and Sundays will only cost $1.
Children will get in free all weekend, compliments of The Herald-Dispatch's Tri-State Family magazine.
Like last year, when Ribfest kicked Thursday night up a notch with .38-Special, organizers are bringing back a second helping of Southern Rock with The Marshall Tucker Band.
"We started that tradition last year and really want to get that first night off to a rocking start," Weiss said. "Like last year, one of the biggest names of the weekend will be on Thursday night."
WTCR-FM, nominated last year for small market station of the year by the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association, brings out its award-winning WTCR Highway 23 Jamboree on Friday night with a double-shot of national acts with Cody McCarver (of Confederate Railroad) and RCA Nashville recording artist Jake Owen, who recently chalked up his third consecutive Top 15 single with "Something About A Woman" from his debut release Startin' With Me.
Owen was also nominated for Top New Male Vocalist at this year's Academy of Country Music Awards.
Opening that show will be a range of local talent including Jeremy Adkins, Shane Thomas, Amy Chaney and Sean Cabell.
Saturday, there's a triple shot of sweet-singing oldies with The Diamonds, The Marvelettes and The Clovers, presented by B 97.
Blues Sunday will feature Lil' Joe, The Carpenter Ants and Larry Whitt presented by radio stations The River and Magic.
The Carpenter Ants, formed by Mountain Stage guitarist Michael Lipton, recently performed for a national audience on NPR's "Michael Feldman's Whaddya Know?" and have recorded a couple of soul-slathered, rocked up gospel CDs with long-time friend and producer, Don Dixon (R.E.M., The Smithereens).
Though Ribfest has utilized the large field in years past, this year all music will take place at the amphitheater stage, and Ribfest will use most of the west end of the park as city crews are still working to repair a sinkhole created in the east end of the park.
Weiss said that while moving Ribfest from its original layout has been a challenge, it's actually bringing a new energy to the process as they're utilizing the amphitheater and that shady tree-lined part of the park for vendors and other attractions.
At the far west end of the park will be The Kiddie Korral sponsored by St. Mary's Medical Center. That will be set up Friday through Sunday with children's activities including free inflatables, a local caricature artist, face painting, and carnival games Sunday.
Under the main dining tent, Ribfest is bringing back Sandy Sowell's Game Show Mania, and Saturday, Sandy Sowell's Laser Karaoke.
Back by popular demand, the annual Bike Show is set for Saturday afternoon and the Rollin' On the River Car Show on Sunday.
Weiss said Dasani water is also bringing a misting tent to cool folks off, although, temperatures are forecasted to be in the low 80s, a welcome change after last year's triple digit temperatures.
"A high of 80 degrees, that's a present for me," Weiss said. "Last year it was sweat just rolling off of me with no end in sight. If anyone needs me this year, I'll be in the misting tent."
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