Barbecue fans are marking their calendars for the 25th Annual Rhythm & Ribs Festival, which will be held Oct. 15-17 in downtown St. Augustine.
The festival and fundraiser will feature music legend Travis Tritt, national recording artists, award-winning barbecue with regional and national BBQ champions, live music, arts and crafts vendors and activities.
Founded by St. Augustine Sunrise Rotary Club in 1995 as an event with proceeds donated to charitable organizations for local and international service-oriented projects, the family-friendly weekend attracts locals and visitors.
This year, the Saturday night headliner will be Travis Tritt, who remains a key influence in country music, Southern rock, blues, gospel and honky-tonk genres, attracting fans from across the globe. He will play selections from his first original full-length album in more than a decade.
Also performing throughout the weekend will be Darrell Rae Music, Davis and The Loose Cannons, DJ EL, Jordan Fletcher, Luke Langford Band, Muscadine Bloodline, The Carpetbaggers and Walker Montgomery. One Good Ring will perform with musicians honoring the legendary Grateful Dead.
See the festival band schedule at rhythmandribs.net/timeline.
Rhythm & Ribs also features delicious barbecue with chefs competing for the best food items and people’s choice barbecue awards. In addition, there will be an array of arts-and-crafts vendors and more.
The popular festival, normally held in the spring, was postponed due to COVID-19.
Festival times and ticket prices are:
Children 15 years of age and younger may attend events at no charge.
VIP Weekend Access tickets are available online only, for $150 per person; these include exclusive viewing areas next to the stage with first-come first-serve seating, private restrooms, access to the exclusive premium cash liquor bar, commemorative items and re-entry to the festival.
Lawn chairs and blankets are allowed; however, no coolers or outside food and drinks are permitted. No dogs or other pets will be allowed, nor will overnight camping.
The festival runs concurrent with Biketoberfest, which will be held Oct. 14-17 in Daytona Beach, and Rhythm & Ribs organizers are putting out the welcome mat for motorcycle enthusiasts visiting the area.
Parking for Rhythm & Ribs is available at the Historic Downtown Parking Facility next to the festival field. All-day parking is $15. With a ParkNow card, all-day parking is $3. For more information, go to citystaug.com/498/Parking. Additional city parking facilities include handicapped parking and overnight parking.
On Oct. 16 only, free parking and free shuttle transportation will be available, managed by the City of St. Augustine and paid for by the St. Augustine Sunrise Rotary. The shuttle will run from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. with pick-up and delivery every 20 to 25 minutes from two parking locations on the north side of the city: St. Johns County Health Department, 200 San Sebastian View in St. Augustine, and North San Marco Lot, 301 San Marco Ave. in St. Augustine.
Additional Rotary Club-sanctioned parking lots are located around the festival field for $10 all-day.
The event will be held at Francis Field, U.S. 1 and Castillo Drive.
Key sponsors for the event include Bozard Ford, Budweiser and Canan Law. Additional sponsors include Adams Entertainment, Bacardi, Bud Lite Seltzer, Business Builders, Jacksonville’s Country WQIK 99.1 FM, Stillhouse and more.
Rhythm & Ribs is a large undertaking. Approximately 200 volunteers, including Rotarians, friends and family, provide more than 2,000 hours of help over the weekend. What began as a small Barbeque Fest (its original name), Rhythm & Ribs has grown significantly and attracts music lovers and barbecue aficionados from all around the area.
Over the years, the musical headliners have included JJ Grey & MOFRO, Sister Hazel, Rusted Root, Leon Russell, Dave Mason and the Marshall Tucker Band, among others.
For further information and to purchase tickets, go to rhythmandribs.net.
