What: Smoke on the Water – Ribs for the Red Cross
Where: Promenade Park in downtown Toledo.
When: Friday, July 31 though Sunday, August 2, 2009.
Cost: Admission remains just $3, with kids 12 and under free. Admission is free on Friday before 5 p.m.
Web site: http://www.ribs4redcross.com
Rib Vendors
Rib Vendor Space is Sold Out for 2009 Smoke on the Water – Ribs for the Red Cross Event
Smoke on the Water – Ribs for the Red Cross is excited to announce that booth space for rib vendors at the downtown Toledo event has sold out. A dozen rib vendors, heavy on local flavor, will fill Promenade Park, an increase of 50-percent over last year’s participants.
The 2009 Smoke on the Water – Ribs for the Red Cross vendors include:
- AJ Doolittle’s – Lambertville, Michigan
- Bad Bob’s BBQ – Rossford, Ohio
- Big Moe’s BBQ – Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Black Kettle BarBeQue – Toledo, Ohio
- Chicago BBQ Company – Burr Ridge, Illinois
- Famous Dave's - Toledo, Ohio
- Johnson’s BBQ – Chesapeake, Virginia
- Po Mo's - Toledo, Ohio
- Sidelines – Toledo, Ohio
- Texas Roadhouse – Holland, Ohio
- Texas Thunder – Euless, Texas
- Tom’s BBQ and Grill – Toledo, Ohio
“This is a great mix of local and national ribbers, which gives our guests the opportunity to try the best ribs from across northwest Ohio, as well as the mid-west,” says event Chairman Chris Kozak. “Considering the state of the economy, we are encouraged that we’ve sold out early. It shows that word of the large crowds spread amongst vendors and they see this as a première event they need to be part of.”
Limited vendor space is still available for non-rib food vendors and non-food vendors. For more information, please call 419-329-2619.
Music and Politics
Smoke on the Water – Ribs for the Red Cross Entertainment Headlined By Presidents of the United State of America and Chuck Wicks
Song of Toledo Winners and Mayoral Candidates Part of the Event
The largest ribs event in northwest Ohio, the 2009 Columbia Gas Smoke on the Water – Ribs for the Red Cross, proudly announces their full entertainment schedule.
In addition to national headliners Presidents of the United States of America and Chuck Wicks, Smoke on the Water features Toledo’s Mayoral candidates on Saturday afternoon starting at 3 p.m. Each candidate will have 15 minutes to speak to the crowd. (See full schedule below)
Smoke on the Water is also proud to feature Song of Toledo winner Empire Drift who will open for Chuck Wicks; and ‘Song of Toledo – Peoples Choice’ winner Buck 69, who will open for Presidents of the United States of America. The full line-up includes:
Friday, July 31
- Noon to 1:30 p.m. - Toledo Jazz Orchestra Quartet
- 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – TBA
- 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. – Rodney Parker & Liberty Beach
- 8:45 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. – Haywire
Saturday, August 1
- 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – TBA
- 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. – Mayoral candidates (Times were randomly selected)
- 3 p.m.: D. Michael Collins
- 3:15 p.m.: Keith Wilkowski
- 3:30 p.m.: Jim Moody
- 3:45 p.m.: Mike Bell
- 4 p.m.: Ben Konop
- 4:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. – Song of Toledo winner Empire Drift (Acoustic set)
- 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. - Stop Don’t Stop
- 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. – Famous Dave’s Pulled Pork Eating Contest
- 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. – Song of Toledo - People’s Choice winner Buck 69
- With more then 120,000 votes, Buck 69’s “I Am Toledo” was the winner of the Song of Toledo People’s Choice award. This Toledo-based band mixes blues rock band mixing together the old and the new to create electric contemporary blues.
- 8:45 p.m. to 10 p.m. – Presidents of the United States of America
- A twice Grammy-nominated alternative rock band from Seattle, best known for their songs “Lump” and “Peaches” from their 1993 triple-platinum self-titled debut CD. Presidents of the United States of America have released six studio albums, including their most recent, “These Are the Good Times People.”
Sunday, August 2
- 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Mojoe Boes & His Noble Jones
- 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Song of Toledo winners Empire Drift
- Their entry, “A Good Place to Call Home” was voted ‘Song of the Year’ in the inaugural FOX Toledo/Toledo Free Press "Song of Toledo" contest. The song has been declared the 2009 ‘Song of Toledo’ by the Lucas County Commissioners and Toledo City Council. Empire Drift is a Toledo based quintet.
- 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. - Rib awards presentation
- 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Chuck Wicks
- This ‘Dancing with the Stars’ performer exploded on the Country music scene in 2007 with his debut single “Stealing Cinderella” with reached #4 on the Country Charts. Wicks first album, “Starting Now” peaked at #7 and spawned two additional top 40 tracks with “All I Ever Wanted,” and “Man of the House.” Most recently he participated on ABC’s ‘Dancing with the Stars” with real-life girlfriend and country music star Julianne Hough.
Sponsors and More Info
Sponsors for Smoke on the Water – Ribs for the Red Cross include Columbia Gas of Ohio, Key Bank and Heartland Health Care. Media partners include the Toledo Free Press and Cumulus Toledo stations K100, 94.5, 93.5, 106.5 The Zone, Star 105, 1470 and 1560.
For more information on Smoke on the Water – Ribs for the Red Cross please visit www.ribs4redcross.com.
Jodie Tienvieri
Communications Manager
American Red Cross
Greater Toledo Area Chapter
3100 W. Central Avenue
Toledo, OH 43606
419.329.2619 (p)
1.888.590.0098
419.537.6548 (f)
tienvierij@usa.redcross.org
8:45 p.m. to 10 p.m. – Presidents of the United States of America
A twice Grammy-nominated alternative rock band from Seattle, best known for their songs “Lump” and “Peaches” from their 1993 triple-platinum self-titled debut CD. Presidents of the United States of America have released six studio albums, including their most recent, “These Are the Good Times People.”
Opening Band: Buck 69, almost nominated for Grammy this year. My son plays bass, he's super geeked for a 38 yr old, lol.
www.buck69.net
2007 best self produced cd by the Black Swamp Blues Society
2008 grammy finalist contemporary blues for their CD "When She Whispers Your Name"
2008 top ten nomanee for entertainer of the year by the Texas Roots Music Association
2009 Toledo Battle Of The Band Winners - R&B
Is the same as "Rib Off" or is that something different.
IIRC Smoke on the water is held downtown along the river, and the Riboff is held at the Rec. center.
Rib Off used to held in Promenade Park but they moved it to Rec Center, bad move I thought. Politics played a role in it I believe. Toledo once again shoot themselves in the foot, all that nice waterfront and boat docks wasted. A very large amount of boaters used to pay for the priveledge for tying up to the docks on the weekends just to attend events such as the rib off or ribs on the water, or other concert events in promenade park, dont think they even put in the docks this year.
I like the location of this one better, but it doesn’t seem to stack up against the Rib Off. Also, they should have kept with the free admission on Fridays before 3. People working downtown used to like to run over for lunch, but not for three bucks just to get in.
Whatever was the whole reasoning for this splintering off? I know there was something to do with the claim to the name Rib Off and its license. Also, they should not have them just a week apart. If they had a few weeks or months in between I am sure BOTH would have better attendance.
PS - Flaming Pit BBQ and Blues is open at The Docks!
Is it good? You know that spot has always been kinda... cursed.
"Whatever was the whole reasoning for this splintering off?"
The 26th annual Northwest Ohio Rib-off is held Aug 6-9 at the Lucas County fairgrounds. It moved from Promenade Park in downtown Toledo prior to the 2006 event because the organizers envisioned an enthusiastic expansion, and the fairgrounds offered more room. Also, the organizers were concerned about Toledo's plans to develop Promenade Park, which included steam plant renovations and the possibility of building an amphitheater at Promenade Park.
Since it obviously takes a lot of lead time to plan an event like this, the rib-off organizers couldn't wait to see what Toledo was going to do with that land, so in the fall of 2005, they announced the move to the fairgrounds.
This move angered several people in Toledo even though the event is called the Northwest Ohio Rib-off. So Toledo created a new downtown food event.
After many months of brainstorming, Toledo's creative power-thinkers came up with a new downtown Toledo event based upon ... ribs. Not something different or unique but ribs. Doesn't matter. Can always go for the music and not the food.
And I think Toledo purposely-scheduled their new rib event to occur one week before the old Northwest Ohio Rib-off. Toledo made it competitive and political. Carty attacked Ford on this issue in the fall of 2005, ahead of the mayoral election. Bizarre.
Some old, related Toledo Talk threads:
Some old news stories embedded in the above threads:
- August 2005 - "A Toledo summertime tradition could be making a move. After 22 years in Promenade Park, organizers of the Rib-Off say the grills may have to go. Organizers say ongoing construction projects could make it hard to hold the festival along the waterfront. One site being considered is the Lucas County Rec Center in Maumee."
- October 2005 - "Patty Mazur, director of events for United Health Services cited ongoing construction at the Steam Plant and the news of park renovations as reasons for seeking a new venue. Mazur wants the event to draw upwards of 500,000 people. In August [2005], the event drew 90,000."
- October 2005 - "Former Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner says he wants to keep the annual rib-off event along the riverfront, but the steam plant redevelopment and Mayor Ford's proposed amphitheater project at Promenade Park has the rib-off organizers looking elsewhere. Finkbeiner says if elected, some improvements could be made at Promenade Park, but the city's efforts would be focused on developing the Marina District. Meanwhile, Finkbeiner says more events need to be held downtown, including a call for the revival of the "Rally by the River" events."
- October 2005 reactions to the rib-off moving to Maumee:
- Mayor Ford said: "We're disappointed. We've not given up on that and we stand ready to continue to work with them."
- Carty said: "I think it's another example of Mr. Ford dallying when he should have been more proactive in keeping the Rib-Off downtown."
I had hoped Toledo's new downtown food event would have been a big fish-fry and corn fest. But again, the music is the main thing.
October 2005 - "Patty Mazur, director of events for United Health Services cited ongoing construction at the Steam Plant..."
There was construction at the Steam Plant?
I really need to get out more...
We went down for lunch today. Most of the samplers are three bones so we were able to split one sampler among family members. We tried all but Texas Roadhouse and Sidelines. My fave was Chicago BBQ Company while hubby liked Johnson’s BBQ and AJ Doolittle’s. IMHO, Black Kettle can be skipped. It seemed to me that there were fewer vendors this year - I didn't see a corn stand anywhere. The people selling corn dogs seemed to be having some trouble, they kept saying the food would be ready in 20 minutes but we were never able to get the little one his dog. Oh well. All in all, we had fun; it was well worth the trip.
My band played at 1pm, to the hardy few were out early. I would definitely give a huge thumbs-up to the stage crew and organizers - they're running a tight ship and we were treated very well. We had to come home and see off some departing relatives, but we're heading back down shortly for the rest of the festivities. Been a great time so far.
MaumeeMom, I really liked Black Kettle, first time I've seen/had them and they had some really unusual bones, great sauce and nice people, I thot. We only got to Sidelines, which we already knew we liked, glad to hear they opened a place down here, Chicago and Black Kettle. All were good and the Presidents were rockin, so we had a good time.
Just got back. What a surprise to see Amstel Light and Hieniken being offered in place of the usual Bud/Light. No ribs though, had some last night. Great weather and everyone looked to be having a good time.
Nana, I'm glad you had a better experience than we did with Black Kettle. Since they are local, I would have liked to support them but the sampler we got had almost no meat. It was an end with all char and bones. Not one of the three of us could eat it and since it was so charred, we couldn't tell you what the sauce was like. I was surprised because usually, the samplers are better cuts. I'm glad you enjoyed them, I will try them again next year if they are there.
Yah, or maybe look around for their location? I have no idea where they are or even if they have a shop. used to get some great ribs out in Holland right off Angola...Ribs LTD? man, I love ribs.
and who's bright idea was it to let a vendor (Bad Bobs?) bring food boxes to the Presidents while they were on stage, wtf???? they were just ending a song and here comes this guy walking around to the front middle of the stage and draws everyone's eyes to him and the security chick with him! They weren't going to eat that shit onstage, people, just leave it in the back, jeez! Chris was good about it, but it was lame. :(