10 Years and Counting!

Tom Woods, the head of the Esquimalt Ribfest, was asked to reflect on the past 10 years of this event and share his thoughts -

“Like any potential charitable fundraising idea, the first couple of years are always a bit of an unknown. Questions like: Will there be public buy-in? How much will it cost to put on? Will we make or lose money? Will it be fun and family friendly? Will anyone even show up? Well, as we enter year eleven with Esquimalt Ribfest, we can honestly say that each one of these questions has been answered positively and in spades.

It all started with a rugby connection when the grandson of Rugby Canada Hall of Fame Coach Tillman Briggs - Penner - contacted me about possibly hosting a charity fundraiser called Ribfest in Esquimalt. I had never heard of Ribfest, but a quick Google search showed how popular they were in Ontario and that the Burlington Rotary Club alone had raised significant amounts of money for charity. Some quick phone calls and arm twisting for an ad hoc volunteer committee ensued and Esquimalt Ribfest was launched in September, 2013. We are proud to say that the event is now among the best attended and most profitable in Canada.”

The Esquimalt Firefighters Charitable Foundation in conjunction with the Esquimalt Ribfest Society and 7 local non-profit groups have raised over $1.0M for local charities during the past 10 years. The Fire Fighters Foundation has distributed $450,000 to over 40 local groups and the Ribfest Society has generated $420,000 of which $360,000 has been donated to the Esquimalt High School Turf Fund. This would not have happened without the generous contributions of the sponsors or the tremendous support from the thousands of Ribfest patrons. The organizing committee is excited to host this year’s event on September 8th, 9th and 10th at Bullen Park in Esquimalt and they look forward to having an even greater impact on charities in the community. The six big-rig BBQ companies along with 8 local craft brewers are ready to go. They will be joined by over 20 other charitable and commercial vendors for this three day event. There are 20 local bands committed for the entertainment along with Fleetwood Magic from Vancouver on Friday Night and Juno Award Winner Jack Semple and the Horn Dogs for Saturday Night. Admission is free or by donation to the Esquimalt Fire Fighters’ Charitable Foundation and we look forward to seeing everyone at Ribfest.

Enjoy a dozen new works over one weekend.

SKAMpede festival, a professionally curated outdoor performing arts festival, returns for its 15th year this July! This year’s SKAMpede is scheduled to happen over the third weekend of July, from the 14th of the month to the 16th. The festival will feature both trail tours and performances at the Hub—the nexus for all things SKAMpede during the festival.

Starting June 15th, audiences can buy tickets for specific tour times throughout the weekend. There will be eight artists featured across two unique tours along the Galloping Goose and Songhees Walkway. The works on the trails range from dance to puppetry to one-act plays.

Artists include Ez’s Dandies, Melody and Movement, Salty