As various cities and suburbs bring back summer events, the Exchange Club of Naperville has announced that this year’s Ribfest will not take place over the Independence Day weekend.
According to an announcement by the club, it “cannot reasonably guarantee health, safety and success for such a large-scale public event,” and says that potential capacity restrictions would hinder the club’s ability to put on the event in the way that it wants to.
“This extremely difficult decision comes after much deliberation about any possibility of presenting the family fun, philanthropy, dining and music throughout Independence Day weekend that have become synonymous with ‘Ribfest’ for thousands of attendees every year,” the club said in a statement.
Organizers say that they still intend to host the 2022 edition of the event in Romeoville.
Ribfest is one of a handful of events around the area that will be canceled for the upcoming summer, as coronavirus mitigation rules are rolled back across the state. Andersonville’s Midsommarfest has already been canceled for this year, but other events will still take place, including the Illinois State Fair, Lollapalooza and the Grant Park Music Festival, among others.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
