Of all the foods in the world, nothing hits the mark quite like a rack of succulent ribs that fall off the bone. From the buttery texture to the bold taste, ribs are well respected by any meat lover.
If the thought of juicy ribs gets your mouth watering, then head to Airdrie this weekend! The Western Canada Rib Fest Tour (WCRFT) is headed to Nose Creek Regional Park from Friday August 4 to Sunday August 7.
The event will feature three teams, each serving up their version of delicious ribs through this long weekend. Usually, there are four teams in the WCRFT. This includes Billy Bones, Blazin’ BBQ, Bone Daddy’s, and Buckeye BBQ.
Billy Bones’ manager Paul Mendonca has toured with the WCRFT 13 years! Mendonca is a master of his craft and looks forward to showing event attendees how ribs are made.
“They’re going to get three different teams that have been doing this, between myself and other managers, over 50 years’ experience making ribs all across Canada,” Mendonca told Alberta Prime Times.
But there’s more to the WCRFT than ribs. Attendees will also have a chance to explore local vendors. An official list has yet to be provided, but there’s no shortage of talented vendors in Airdrie, ranging from farmers’ markets to candy shops.
The WCRFT may only be in Airdrie for a few days, but the event is on the road for about 16 weeks. The event starts its journey across western Canada in late May, visiting many locations.
The event also employs younger people locally. Getting paid to travel across western Canada sounds like a sweet gig! “It’s kind of a treat for them…They get to see the country, and we pay for their hotels and put them up. It’s definitely a fun job,” said Mendonca.
The WCRFT has blossomed from a small event to something much larger. The event attracts more and more attendees every year, and the number of local businesses looking to get involved has also grown.
According to Mendonca, the WCRFT team looks forward to giving back to the cities and communities that supported the event in the past. “Even going to restaurants, we try to support the same places every year…We come in and we try to give back to the community as much as we can,” said Mendonca.
