Ribfest 2007: Great Days and Nights of Ribs and Music in Florida

Here in beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida, we have a tradition of eating and enjoying music together. We call them festivals and use them as an excuse to get out and enjoy the year-round wonders of our great area.

The best of these festivals is the Ribfest on November 9, 10 and 11, 2007, Friday through Sunday in St. Petersburg, Florida. It's a celebration of world-famous barbecue and recording artists in an outdoor atmosphere sure to please the foodies, the musicholics and the families needing something to do on this featured weekend.

The offerings for delicious food at this festival are not to be denied. Consider the wonderful aroma of thousands of pounds of rib meat roasting for consumption. From blocks away the delicious odors of ribs slow cooking will put a rib lover's spring in your step. These people cooking for your pleasure are the top barbecue chefs in America. They are at the Ribfest to showcase their talents. Professional and amateur rib chefs compete to create the best of ribs as a tasty offering in the category of slow cooked cuisine.

In addition to the best of ribs and music under the stars this year's rib festival is offering more daylight entertainment. They have added a Saturday Classic Car & Truck Show and Sunday Motorcycle Show for the teens and adults. X Games Gear Super Freestyle Tour group is performing 4 shows daily. For the small children Ribfest has an entertainment area; the Kids Zone will have inflatables to bounce on and activities to keep your child happy. Special appearance by characters like Shana Banana and Sponge Bob Square Pants are not to be missed. (Hey families, this is the event to get out of the house for: all your children that are 12 and under are admitted free!)

Gates to Ribfest open at 11 a.m. daily on all three days of the festival. Ribfest is located in our Vinoy Park between Fifth and Seventh avenues NE in St. Petersburg, Florida. The gate entry price of 10.00 in advance and 15.00 the same day is minimal for the entertainment provided. Don't worry about bringing enough cash for the ribs, this festival has ATM machines on the premises to make sure you have the dollars to eat and drink very well. If you wish to purchase tickets in advance go to this site www.ribfest.org or for more information call 727-528-3828.

The music can be fantastic. Many diverse groups and solo artists on the main stage and secondary stage over the entire three days and nights of the festival are only there to entertain you. It's a mixture of old style rock and roll and newer musicians to make getting up and dancing in the grass a spontaneous good time for all.

This festival is out in the open. You may bring lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, small cameras and personal items like pocketbooks. But no coolers, hidden food, video recorders, alcoholic beverages or animals are allowed into the festival premises. All items that are carried by visitors may be subject to a thorough search at the gate. Parking is available in the area of Ribfest. Street parking time zones will be enforced. Buses and our local Looper Trolley will run from 5 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. This public transportation will run for an hour after the festival ends. There is plenty of parking in different areas close by for all visitors. Some parking spots are near the festival and some a little ways out: park at Progress Energy Field or near the Mahaffey Theater or at the parking garage on First Avenue S between Second and First streets then use the buses and Looper to get around. There are also 70 handicapped parking spaces by the baseball field accessible by 9th Avenue NE.

Come on out to the Ribfest. The Exchange Club of Northeast St. Petersburg has used Ribfest as a charity fund raiser for years and to date raised over $2,000,000 to help our local groups and charities including All Children's Hospital of St. Petersburg Florida.

Music Schedule

FRIDAY on the SWEETBAY STAGE
Fran Cosmo
The Amazing voice of Boston
with Special Guest
Barry Goudreau
Kansas
Friday on the TRANSITIONS STAGE
Urban Gypsies
Radio Crime

Saturday on the SWEETBAY STAGE
Atlanta Rhythm Section
Eddie money
Classic Albums Live
The Wall
Grand Funk Railroad

Saturday on the TRANSITIONS STAGE
Dr. Dave Band
Devil's Highway
Natalie Stovall
Dirty Secrets

Sunday on the SWEETBAY STAGE
Edgar Winter Band
Lou Gramm lead singer of Foreigner
Santana
original lead singer Gregg Rolie

Sunday on the TRANSITIONS STAGE
Blue Wall
Natalie Stovall
TransEra