Politics & Government
Biggest Year for LITH Rockin' Ribfest
About 20,000 people stopped out to Sunset Park this past weekend during the Lake in the Hills Rotary Club's Rockin' Ribfest.
A half-hour before the Lake in the Hills Rockin' Ribfest was slated to close down Sunday, people were still waiting in line to buy ribs and play games.
With more than 20,000 paying visitors, about 15 percent more visitors than last year, the Rockin’ Ribfest is expected to exceed last year’s net profit of $100,000, said James Wales, an organizer for the event and director of police and public safety for the LITH Police Department.
The Lake in the Hills Rotary Club hosts the event and the money goes back into Lake in the Hills or is donated to charities.
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About $30,000 of the money raised will help fund a new Frisbee golf course on the west side of the village, said Ed Plaza, president of the village of Lake in the Hills.
“This was the biggest year ever,” said Plaza Sunday night as volunteer work crews started to pick up trash and dismantle the grounds in Sunset Park.
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Even as the last band performed, rib cookers and other vendors started dismantling their booths.
“You’d be surprised how fast these people will take this place apart,” said Gerald Sagona, village administrator.
Robert Salerno, owner of Lockport, Ill.-based All Around Amusements, said for the first time Rockin’ Ribfest had carnival games and they were a big hit. He is planning on coming back next year if he can negotiate his contract with the village so his company gets a bigger cut.
“I think we did really well here,” Salerno said. “Everybody you see has our prizes in there hands. People love playing our games. I think we’ve done a lot here, keeping people sticking around."
