Grill seekers invaded Centennial Park for Ribfest

Fort St. John was smoking last weekend, and it wasn’t just the barbecues. Thousands descended on Centennial Park with empty stomachs and high hopes, ready to wage a delicious war on racks of ribs grilled to perfection.

The Fort St. John Rotary Ribfest was held between July 11 – 13 at Centennial Park, which has seen more than 30, 000 attendees since the event began in 2020 according to their website.

Four BBQ trucks including Billy Bones BBQ, Blazin BBQ, Buckeye BBQ, and Silver Bullet BBQ faced off during this year’s competition in their pursuit of finger licking glory.

The trucks competed over the weekend, eventually being judged to find out who had the tastiest ribs and who was in possession of the tastiest sauce.

After a fierce showdown of smoky flavours and saucy showmanship, Silver Bullet BBQ was crowned this year’s Best Ribs champion, while Blazin’ BBQ took top honours for Best Sauce.

“It’s a friendly competition between the four rigs, so every weekend you have to bring your ‘A’ game,” said Billy’s BBQ manager to the Alaska Highway News.

Proceeds from the event go directly toward supporting the Fort St. John Rotary and Sunrise Rotary clubs, helping fund a wide range of community projects aimed at enhancing quality of life for residents across Fort St. John and the North Peace Region.