Canada’s Largest Ribfest 加拿大最大的排骨节本周末重返伯灵顿的斯宾塞·史密斯公园

Canada’s Largest Ribfest returns to Burlington’s Spencer Smith Park

Canada’s Largest Ribfest returns to Burlington’s Spencer Smith Park for four days this Labour Day weekend, bringing an estimated $4 million in economic impact and allowing the Rotary Burlington Lakeshore club to support dozens of local organizations.

加拿大最大的排骨节将在劳动节周末期间重返伯灵顿的斯宾塞·史密斯公园，持续四天，预计将带来约400万美元的经济效益，并使伯灵顿湖滨扶轮社能够支持数十个本地组织。

The 28th annual ribfest runs Friday, Aug. 30 to Monday, Sept. 2 and features 16 ribbers, live music each day, midway rides in the kids’ zone, and two beverage tents. A couple of changes supported expansion of the midway with more rides, and a large tent providing a covered eating area.

第28届年度排骨节将于8月30日星期五至9月2日星期一举行，活动包括16个排骨摊位、每天的现场音乐表演、儿童区的中途游乐设施以及两个饮料帐篷。今年的几项变化支持了中途游乐区的扩展，增加了更多的游乐设施，并设置了一个大帐篷作为覆盖的就餐区。

Ribfest co-chair Jay Bridle said this year’s event continues with a $2 entry fee instituted for the first time last year to help organizers keep the ribfest going while facing increasing costs. The fee helps offset expenses, while also supporting improvements.

排骨节联合主席杰伊·布里德尔表示，今年的活动将继续收取CAD$2元的入场费，这是去年首次引入的，目的是帮助组织者在面对不断增加的成本时维持排骨节的运营。该费用有助于抵消开支，同时也支持活动的改进。

Any net proceeds after expenses funds club donations to organizations and projects — almost $5-million to at least 40 local organizations in the past 27 years.

在扣除费用后的任何净收益都将用于扶轮社对组织和项目的捐款——过去27年来，已向至少40个本地组织捐赠了近500万加元。

“This really is what funds our club,” Bridle said.

Last year, it wasn’t clear if the event would be able to continue.

“We were facing a potential loss,” Bridle said, so they moved forward with the entry fee. “It worked well last year. Enough to know we could go ahead with the event.”

New this year is an 88 foot by 200 foot tent, providing 16,000 square feet of cover for a couple hundred tables, whether visitors are threatened by hot sun or raindrops.

Bridle said the club considered the possibility of a large tent covering the eating area in the past, but it was cost prohibitive with the event’s “razor thin margins.”

The entry charge helped make the large covered area a reality, and with support from sponsor Leggat Discovery Ford, organizers named it the Leggat Sun Roof.

“It will feel like an al fresco hall,” Bridle said. “This will help people stay in the park and extend their experience.”

A layout with one stage instead of two, brought in last year, creates additional space for the midway area to expand with more rides.

Bridle said converting to one stage helped lower costs and allowed realignment of the midway closer to other ribfest elements. Organizers found the new layout with one stage could provide extra space for the midway this year. “It’s a draw,” he said.

An economic impact study of the 2022 ribfest, included in Rotary Burlington Lakeshore’s ribfest sponsorship package, states the event’s economic impact was estimated at $4 million — with 150,000 total attendees.

“Non-local attendees and event operations resulted in approximately $5.3-million of new spending,” the study states.

An estimated $1.6-million in tax revenue was reported to be generated by the event.

The report states 29 per cent of attendees resided more than 40 kilometres away.

Local residents spent about $3-million on food and beverages at ribfest, plus $445,000 on merchandise and another estimated $1.3-million outside of ribfest at local businesses during the event.

Out of town visitors spent approximately $1.2-million at ribfest, and another $3.6-million for other services while in Burlington — including $1.4-million on accommodations.

For more information, visit: https://canadaslargestribfest.com/.

2024 Canada’s Largest Ribfest at Spencer Smith Park schedule

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

•  Friday, Aug. 30 — 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
•  Saturday, Aug. 31 — 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
•  Sunday, Sept. 1 — 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
•  Monday, Sept. 2 — 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.