By Charlene Tebbutt

Organizers cancel 2018 Rotary Ribfest

Apr 2, 2018 | 2:00 PM

Prince Albert’s annual Ribfest is no more after organizers decided to cancel the 2018 event.

The Rotary Club of Prince Albert will not be hosting Ribfest in 2018, saying the event did not draw a large enough crowd to keep it going. Duane Hayunga, Rotary Club member and chair of the 2017 Ribfest event, said he learned last month that the professional rib chefs who had participated in the past would not be returning this year.

“We weren’t able to attract enough business for them to make it a successful venture for the ribbers,” Hayunga told paNOW. “The committee had started the preliminary work back in late 2017 to host it, but obviously we needed a firm commitment from the ribbers before we could begin the final prep … it’s hard to have the event without the guys who put on the show.”

The PA Rotary Ribfest started in 2016. The inaugural event was held in July of that year at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre and featured professional ribbers and local entertainment, with proceeds going toward a local community group. The event was moved to Kinsmen Park in June of 2017 to offer a more family-friendly atmosphere, Hayunga said.

The weather was colder for last year’s event, but Hayunga said numbers were up over the first year. The 2017 event saw between 2,500 and 3,500 people come through the gate, he said.

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“For the club, we made very, very few dollars,” Hayunga said. “We’re a little disappointed.”

Hayunga said the club’s other events, including Loberfest in May and the Rotary Wine Premier in October, will still go ahead as planned. He said the club is open to new fundraising ideas, particularly as members get set to celebrate the club’s 100th anniversary in 2020. Hayunga said the club has a committee looking at ways to mark the centenary.

“We’re looking for a major project where we can give back to the city of Prince Albert to recognize 100 years in the community,” he said.

charlene.tebbutt@jbpg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt