Lots of great entertainment at Rib Fest

VW independent/submitted information

Great food, great fun, and great entertainment go together at this year’s 10th annual Van Wert Rib Fest. According to Van Wert Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Larry Lee, Rib Fest will have a lot of activities and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.

On opening night, Friday, August 5, there will be a home run derby to benefit a very worthwhile cause: Van Wert Acme Baseball.

Also on Friday evening, the music line-up begins at 6 p.m. with the band Soft ‘N’ Heavy from Fort Wayne, Indiana. This group of 17-21 year olds expertly churns out a solid mixture of blues, jazz, and psychedelic rock with an infusion of funk. Their performance will be a mixture of tributes to their musical idols and improvisation that allows them the freedom to show off their musicality and creativity.

Following at 8 p.m. will be Sierra Shame, also from the Fort Wayne area. Take the incredible vocals of Rascal Flatts and combine them with the kick of AC/DC and you start to get a taste of the incredible result that is Sierra Shame. The group’s emotionally moving harmonies and take-no-prisoners stage presence makes for a fresh and exciting delivery of music that is something area residents would rarely see outside a major concert arena.

Saturday, August 6, Rib Fest will offer a full day of activities. Beginning Saturday morning, the 10th annual Rib Fest Wiffleball Tournament will kick things off. This year, there will be two divisions playing simultaneously. Van Wert Acme Baseball will manage the Lower Division, open to teams whose players are in eighth grade and under, while the Van Wert Pride girls’ softball team will be in charge of the Upper Division, whose players must be in grades 9-12.

For more information contact Brent Kohn at Citizens National Bank (419.238.1080). Pre-registration is required and team rosters and an $80 team entry fee must be in by Monday, August 1.

Rib vendors will open at 11 a.m. Saturday, while the afternoon’s activities will include a Corn Hole Tournament managed by Lautza-palooza, starting at 1 p.m., with registration at noon. Cash prizes (100 percent payout) will be awarded to the tournament champions.

For more information, call Matt Lautzenheiser at 419.605.8611.

Registration will open at 3 p.m. for the Rib Fest Car Show, and all vehicles are welcome. Awards will be presented at 7 p.m. Prizes will be given for the best GM, Ford, Mopar, import, Ratrod, and truck entry; the farthest traveled; oldest car; and the top 10. The goal is at least 100 cars in this show.

For additional information, call Val Hunt at 419.203.2787.

The United Way of Van Wert County will hold its annual When Pigs Fly event at 4 p.m. Small, numbered plastic pigs will be dropped from a ladder van donated by Dan Brandt of Wilkinson Printing. Two lucky winners will receive cash prizes: $500 for the pig that lands closest to the target and $100 to the pig that lands farthest away.

Tickets are $5 each or five for $20 and can be purchased at the United Way office on Westwood Drive, from any United Way board member, or during the Rib Fest. For more information, call 419.238.6689.

At 4:30 p.m. Saturday, the Van Wert Area YWCA will be hosting its annual Pig Races. These little piggies don’t do it for the money, what they really want is that Oreo cookie waiting for them at the finish line. They run as fast as their little legs can take ’em, and then it’s back to nap time to be ready for the next race. Money raised at the Pig Races is used to support YWCA programs.

Taking the Cooper Farms Entertainment Stage at 6 p.m. on Saturday is a band new the Van Wert area: Hot-N-Nasty from Defiance. The band describes its music as ”original outlaw rock-n-roll.” It will be interesting to see and hear what this new young group has to offer.

The Mustang Sally Band will follow that band at 8 p.m. This group from Nashville, Tennessee, has been described as a combination of Alabama and Lynyrd Skynyrd, with a touch of Comedy Central and a hint of Lady Gaga.

The band plays more than 150 shows a year and has shared the stage with such greats as Big & Rich, Montgomery Gentry, Gretchen Wilson, and Blake Shelton. The Mustang Sally Band will make a terrific ending to this year’s Rib Fest.

Rib Fest will be held at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds on Friday, August 5, with gates opening at 5 p.m., and Saturday, August 6, when gates open at 11 a.m. Admission is free before 5 p.m. and $5 per person after 5 p.m. each day. Children ages 12 and under are free both days.