Ribfest Chicago

From the Reader:

"At North Center's Ribfest Chicago this weekend, running Friday through Saturday at the intersection of Lincoln, Irving Park and Damen, the Reader's Julia Thiel, recently the winner of a Beard award for our chef challenge Key Ingredient, will be a judge for the amateur barbecue competition on Saturday from 2 to 4 PM. Reader food writer Mike Sula is one of the judges who will bestow the best ribs award on one of the festival's 16 rib participants in a ceremony to be held Sunday at 9 PM. There will also be both amateur and professional rib-eating contests, the former a "prefest" event on Thursday at 6:30 PM the latter Friday at 6 PM. There's a $5 suggested donation; for more see http://www.ribfest-chicago.com/.--Kate Schmidt"

The website is not as informative as it could be--I didn't realize there is a cooking competition.

From the Reader ad (different from the above):

"SUN JUNE 12 9:00PM
WINNER OF THE BEST RIBS ANNOUNCED
Judged by: Mike Sula, Chicago Reader food Critic; Steve Dolinski, ABC 7's "The Hungry Hound;" Dale Levitsky, Sprout Executive Chef and Bravo TV "Top Chel" contestant; Gary Wiviott, Barbecue Life Coach; and J.P. Anderson, Where Senior Editorial Director, Where Chicago/Milwaukee"

We went last year, late Sunday. It was mobbed and most vendors were out of ribs. so caveat emptor.

Still, there's pretty good music, particularly Friday and Sat.