Naperville 4th of July Weekend Ribfest

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Ribfest PigIndependance Day 2009 is here, and the Windy City Wine Guy and family decided to head out to Naperville for Ribfest.  If you like smokey BBQ, rock and roll, and good suburban family fun, you should make your way out there.  Many tips on how to get there, best plans, and food and beverage for this yearly event are up for grabs in this article.

If you are coming from the city, like us, you have many options.  We drove straight there using I290 to I88, but you can also take the Metra straight there.  Once we arrived, we parked in the Burlington parkling lot, where the Metra drops off, and proceeded to the free shuttle which took us to Ribfest- extremely convenient.  The shuttle runs all day, from multiple lots. 

You will have no problem finding food and drink, as it is spread throughout the park, with the BBQ close to both music stages.  We tried ribs from Sgt. Oink, and they were flavorful, meaty, and tender.  They seemed more Texas in style, with a flavorful dry rub, accompanied by smokey sauce.  We also sampled pulled pork sandwiches from Aussom Aussie BBQ Co. which was extremely tender and rich.  They had an extremely spicy sauce to try on the side which was at an atomic level!  Both made good cornbread.  I really wanted to try a double deck sandwich made by Porky 'N' Beans of pulled pork and beef brisket, but had no room left.  I did save a bit of room for some fried dough covered with powdered sugar.

The beverage options were limited.  They had vending machines and fresh squeezed lemonade for non-alcoholicDancing Bull choices, while Miller Beers MGD and Miller Lite was there for adults at $5 each.  Zinfandel and Chardonnay from Dancing Bull Wines in California were the wine choices, a great option for mass vending- definitely offers value.

If you go, bring a blanket and some foldup chairs.  Pick out a spot to camp out that is in close proximity to food, beverage, Port-o-lets, music, and an exit.  Fireworks are always on July 4th, with Chicago fireworks being on July 3rd.  For all additional info, check out the Ribfest site- they offer detailed maps, transportation options, entertainment schedules, and the menu.  Hope you all have a great time and stay safe!