Ridgefield BBQ and Music Festival Sets Dates

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The 2019 Ridgefield BBQ and Music Festival will be held on the St. Stephen’s Church campus Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5.

The annual event was formerly known as the Ridgefield Gone Country Rotary BBQ. The festival serves as the Connecticut State Barbeque Championship and features 30 barbeque contestants. Awards are presented by both the Northeast Barbeque Society and the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

In addition to the barbeque competition, the event will include a variety of fun family activities including bounce houses, a mechanical bull and various games. There will also be a wide variety of food, beer and other vendors throughout the St. Stephen’s campus.

Notably, this year’s event has been upgraded to include a full slate of bands on a festival-size stage with professional sound and all the usual music festival trappings. A total of nine bands will perform over the two days comprised of national, regional and youth bands playing a mix of classic rock, pop, punk, soul, blues and country rock. The bands scheduled to perform are as follows:

Saturday, May 4

• 11:00 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.: Ridgefield School of Rock Band
• 12:10 – 12:40 p.m.: Freedom Rockets
• 12:50 – 1:50 p.m.: Waiting for Henry
• 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.: Doug Wahlberg Band with Special Guest Appearance by the Emperor of Rock 'n' Roll Richie Scarlet (of Ace Frehley Band, Mountain, Sebastian Bach, Alice Cooper, Chubby Checker and many more)
• 4:15 – 6:00 p.m.: The Ultimate ABBA Tribute Band - Dancing Dream - Performing all the ABBA hits from Mamma Mia

Sunday, May 5

• 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.: Platinum Moon
• 12:40 – 1:40 p.m.: Dan’s Garage
• 1:50 – 2:50 p.m.: Billy Genuario and Destiny
• 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.: Kathy Thompson Band

In past years, the foot traffic has ranged from 4,000 to 6,000 people over the course of the two-day festival depending on weather, but organizers are anticipating larger crowds this year.