Thank you to everyone who attended Stars & Guitars RibFest '08! We couldn't do it without your support!
We would also like to thank our sponsors, donors, volunteers, Board members, the Rockford Park District, and the City of Rockford, for making Stars & Guitars possible! We can't wait to see you again next year, June 25, 26, 27 and 28, 2009.
Stars & Guitars RibFest is a general admission event. Please bring a lawn chair if you would like a seat.
Stars & Guitars RibFest is a four day family food and music festival. Come taste slow-cooked and smoked ribs from champion rib chefs while soaking up the summer sounds and fun.
2008 TICKET PRICES
$15 for a 4-Day Pass in advance
$8 Daily at the Gate
Free Saturday and Sunday from noon to 2:00PM.
Children 10 and under are free with an adult
DAVIS FESTIVAL PARK BUD LIGHT STAGE
| Thursday, June 26, 2008- Gates open at 4:30PM | |||
 Casey Jamerson 5:30 PM-6:45 PM |
 Cook and Belle 7:15 PM-8:45 PM |
 Tracy Lawrence 9:15 PM-10:45 PM |
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| Friday, June 27, 2008- Gates open at 4:30PM | |||
 The Sensations 5:15 PM-6:30 PM |
 The Play Doctors 7:00 PM-9:15 PM |
 Cowboy Mouth 10:00 PM-11:30 PM |
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| Saturday, June 28, 2008- Gates open at Noon | |||
 Heartache Tonight 12:00 PM-2:30 PM |
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 Devon Allman's Honeytribe 7:45 PM-9:15 PM |
 Dicky Betts and Great Southern 10:00 PM-11:30 PM |
| Sunday, June 29, 2008- Gates open at Noon | |||
 Johnny Russler and the Beach Bum Band12:00 PM-2:00 PM |
 Southern Heritage 2:30 PM-3:45 PM |
 Phil Stacy 4:15 PM-5:30 PM |
 James Otto 6:00 PM-7:15 PM |
| Although the On the Waterfront Inc. has taken all reasonable care that the information on this site is accurate at the time of publication, it is for general information purposes only and no representation or guarantee, expressed or implied, is made as to accuracy, reliability or completeness. On the Waterfront, Inc. reserves the right to change information, locations and event times without prior notification. | |||
RIBS
The Stars & Guitars Rockin' Ribfest has a wide variety of food for purchase including, but not limited to, ribs! Food may also be purchased "to go" so you can enjoy the great taste at your convenience.
- Slow Cooked Ribs, half and whole slab dinner
- Pulled Pork Sandwich dinner
- Smoked Chicken Breast Sandwich
- Chicken Breast Sandwich
- Beef Brisket Sandwich dinner
- Pulled Pork Sandwich
- BBQ Bowls (Southwest beans smothered in pulled pork or beef)
- Rib and Chicken Combo
- Cole Slaw
- Chicken Wrap
- Tamale Smothered with pork or beef
The Rib Vendors are:
Chicago BBQ Company
If you're looking for the sweet taste of Chicago-style barbecue, look no further than the Chicago Barbecue Company. Their pride and joy is the actual sauce used in the Chicago area's famed Giovanni's Restaurant, nationally known for its sweet ribs and great Italian cuisine. Folks in the Chicago area like their ribs lightly smoked with a sweet, succulent taste.
Hailing from the Windy City, Tom Ferguson joined the rib competition circuit in 1985. While vending and competing for over 20 years all over the world, the Chicago BBQ Company has won numerous awards and honors. Tom specifically likes to mention the 2003 Tops Great American Rib Cook-Off award as he thinks it describes his ribs most accurately as the "Greatest Ribs in America."
According to Ferguson, flavorful ribs
start at the bone and sauce is simply a tasty compliment.
Ferguson marinates his ribs for 24 hours before smoking
them with the finest seasonings. Tom admits taste
is taste, but
after 20 years he has perfected his process and is
fond of saying "you can't bottle passion, but you can
taste it!"
Howling Coyote
The Howling Coyote Southwest BBQ cooking team has competed in many national cook-offs. We have been serving our uniquely delicious Southwest style BBQ since 1989. We specialize in St. Louis style pork spare ribs, which we smoke and slow cook to a perfect combination of flavor and tenderness. We finish off our cooking process by basting our ribs with our secret recipe "smokefied sauce" as they are open seared on our grill. We also serve hot sandwiches, including our famous Colorado chopped beef brisket sandwich, which always gets rave reviews from our customers, and for those who don't like bones, our chopped pork butt sandwich. In addition we serve sides of cole slaw and our famous "Southwest Beans."
The Howling Coyote cooking team has over 60 years of combined professional cooking experience. Our cooking equipment is NSF approved and can produce close to 4,000 lbs. of ribs a day. Our management team is restaurant sanitation certified and always receives the highest marks from the Health Department inspectors. We are equipped to serve small or very large events. We have participated in events with attendance upwards of 300,000.
Sgt. Oink's Pit BBQ
The Sgt. Oink's BBQ Co. cooking team, coming to us from Tiffin, OH, has competed nationally for over 12 years. Gary and Teresa Stephens first started in the catering business, and then decided to hit the circuit and do national rib cook-offs. They have fared pretty well at the national level, bringing home more than 40 awards for their fabulous BBQ. They have competed for several years in Naperville, IL, and their travel schedule includes multiple stops in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. They will be making their first visit to the Rockford area at the 6th Annual Rockin' Ribfest this summer. Along with their crowd pleasing set-up, they offer exceptional service that always brings a saucy smile to the customer's face.
Texas Thunder BBQ
The 2007 Rockin' Ribfest is the first year Joey Sutphen and the Texas Thunder BBQ cooking team have travled to Rockford, bringing to us the Lone Star taste of the Texas panhandle. The story goes that Joey's momma dipped his pacifier in the family's secret barbecue sauce when he was just three months old; Joey hasn't stopped smacking his lips since. The family has been in the barbecue business since 1950, bottling and selling it themselves. The Texas Thunder BBQ cooking team rates as one of the top award winners in the world, and Joey's reputation for great barbeque even led to an invitation to cook at the White House for former-President Bush and his guests.
