This year Ribfest started off with a bang. I
was lucky enough to be invited to participate in a pre-Ribfest soirée hosted by
Sears on Friday evening where I was able to meet the people behind
#GrillingIsHappiness and hear all about what goes into making, purchasing, and
marketing the products that I drool over. We discussed grills and outdoor
living products as well as what we could expect at Ribfest the next day. I left the get together with a little swag and a lot of anticipation for the next days festivities!
Ribfest is put on by the Exchange Club of
Naperville and the proceeds from the festival go to the elimination of child
abuse and domestic violence. As if that were not reason enough to attend, Ribfest
is also a great place to simply kick back, relax, and enjoy yourself. It is
perfect for meeting up with friends and family for a fun filled day - or night-
of fabulous food, magnificent music, and amusing activities. There is something
for everyone!
I was able to spend a majority of my Saturday at Ribfest and I had a great time. The event
itself is quite large and there are maps strategically placed throughout the
grounds for those who are directionally challenged - like me! There are stages
set up for the bands to rock out on, rows of expo vendors engaging you with
their products, and food vendors galore enticing you to eat their award winning
foods.
Ribfest this year was especially interesting due to one expo tent in particular,
the Sears #GrillingIsHappiness tent! They had some fun freebies for attendees
to take home and the people working the Sears tent were both engaging and
entertaining. Ty Pennington was there to greet people, take pictures, and sign
autographs. For me, it was completely surreal to meet Ty! I have been a fan of
his since he was a carpenter on Trading Spaces and have spend many a night
crying through an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He is just as
pleasant and charming in person as he appears on television.
This was by far my favorite place to hang out
at Ribfest. Aside from the celebrity presence, there were some awesome grill
demonstrations going on throughout the day that were fun to watch and highly educational.
In my head I was prepared for some type of steak
or rib to be grilled during all of the Sears demonstrations. Instead I was
presented with one unique recipe after another. Each grilling expert shared
great tips and tricks for grilling at home. Each GrillingIsHappiness
demonstration was insightful and entertaining.
I was able to watch George Hirsch “Chef &
Lifestyle Expert” grill up some GingerShrimp &Pork with Chinese Vermicelli, which
tasted just as good as it looked {yummy!}. This demo was so engaging that even
Ty Pennington jumped in to lend a hand… and grab a bite.
The grand finally for the grilling
demonstrations was both unexpected and delightful. I was pleased to find out
that Robyn Lindars from “Grill Grrrl” was going to be preparing a GrilledBBQ Chicken Pizza. I have always wanted to grill my own pizza
at home and was super excited to be able to watch an expert make this dish.
Robyn made this look quick and easy, something that even I could handle!I was super excited to find out that all of the recipes were available on GrillingIsHappiness.com/blog/.
You can check out my entire #GrillingIsHappiness
experience as well as the tips I picked up from the grilling experts in my Google+ Album.
After spending a large part of my day at the
Sears tent I made sure to have a look around at what else Ribfest had to offer.
I had a fun time checking out the carnival games and prizes and even got into
some playful banter with a few of the people working the games {I was so not
going to be carrying around a gigantic stuffed anything in 90 degree weather}. There
was a variety of rides and bounce houses for kids and young adults.
The food I was able to sample tasted just as
good as it looked. I knew where I wanted to eat based on who had the longest
lines. The first place I ventured had the longest lines, but everything on the
menu came as a meal and I was too hot to eat that much food. I moved onto the
second longest line and waited my turn to sink my teeth into their award
winning ribs. They were tender and pulled easily off the bone. I smothered them
in some sweet and smoky sauce and made an absolute mess of myself. You know its
good barbeque when you end up wearing it!
The best part of Ribfest for me is that it is
practically held in my back yard. I am just a stone’s throw away from
Naperville and love that this event is hosted so close to where I live! I had
an amazing time and plan on going next year with the entire family.
Ready
to find out who won the amazing Grilling Tool Set from Sears?
The lucky Mom Mart winner of the Grillfinity Gourmet 3-Piece Grilling Tool Set (ARV $53.01) is Monique Bon for tweeting about this giveaway. An email has been sent to the winner and they have 48 hours to respond before another winner is drawn. Congratulations!
I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social
Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social
shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sears. #CBias #SocialFabric Regardless, all of the thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
