Ribfest Eyes DuPage County Fairgrounds For 2022

WHEATON, IL — The beloved Ribfest, a staple of summer in Naperville, may be coming to DuPage County Fairgrounds in 2022. This year's event, proposed for June 17 through June 20, would mark the first Ribfest since 2019, following back-to-back cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to coronavirus.

On Tuesday, the county's public works committee discussed the proposal to host the four-day festival at the fairgrounds, expressing support and enthusiasm for the event. Committee members said a detailed application had been submitted, though a carnival vendor and liquor license had not yet been secured.

Festival organizers are hoping to expedite approval, so they can book musical acts, committee members said at the meeting.

The City of Wheaton "[doesn't] have any issues with this," said Tim Harbaugh, Deputy Director of Facilities Management for DuPage County.

Harbaugh added that Wheaton officials "want to make sure the county is on board with this before they issue the gathering permit"

During Tuesday's meeting, committee members expressed concerns about event capacity, potential traffic issues on Manchester Road and the ability to accommodate early voters at the fairgrounds amid the fest. Some 15,000 people are projected to attend each day of Ribfest, putting the event on par with the DuPage County Fair, which brings in roughly 20,000 attendees daily.

Ribfest, which was founded by the Exchange Club of Naperville, had been held in Naperville's Knoch Park for more than 30 years. In 2018, it was announced that Ribest would relocate due to renovations at Knoch Park.

In 2020 and 2021, Romeoville was set to host Ribfest, but the event was canceled amid coronavirus concerns. The Naperville Park District rejected a proposal in August 2021 to hold a two-day Ribfest at Frontier Sports Complex in June 2022, citing concerns that Ribfest would cause the park district to lose revenue by displacing the complex's patrons throughout the event.

Since its inception, Ribfest has raised more than $18 million to help the Exchange Club of Naperville fight domestic violence and child abuse.

The county's public works committee reached an informal consensus Tuesday to direct staff to coordinate with the DuPage County Election Division and to continue moving ahead with the proposal for Ribfest 2022.

Committee member Elizabeth Chaplin said, "I think it's going to be a really great event. I'm looking forward to it."

A spokesperson for the City of Wheaton confirmed city staff reviewing the application for Ribfest to make sure it meets all necessary requirements. Once that is complete, the application will move on to Wheaton's Liquor Commission before heading to City Council for a vote.

Also on Patch:

Ribfest Canceled Again Due To Coronavirus

Proposal For Ribfest's Return Nixed By Naperville Park District

Ribfest Cancelled For The First Time In 33 Years

Naperville Ribfest To Relocate To Romeoville: Report