About
ROTARY RIBFEST
The Rotary Clubs of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) invite you to be a part of the Sauciest Event of the Summer!
Join us on July 12, 13 and 14, 2024 at Open Hearth Park in Sydney, Nova Scotia for Rotary Ribfest – three days of family fun, great food and top-notch entertainment.
Five professional ribbers will be cooking up a storm as they compete for your vote for Best Ribs, Best Sauce and People’s Choice awards. To further tempt your palate, a number of local food vendors will also be on hand offering an endless array of tasty treats. Enjoy a local brew at the beverage tent and wander through our Vendors’ Village, where local businesses will be showcasing their goods and services. There’s lots to keep the children entertained too. Bounce Kingdom is back featuring inflatables, bounce houses, rock climbing and more! And it wouldn’t be a Cape Breton celebration without music. The entertainment line-up this year is top-notch with both well-known and up-and-coming local artists who will be performing day and night on the Rotary Ribfest stage.
Admission to Rotary Ribfest is free BUT we encourage you to make a donation at the main gate in support of the on-going work of this year’s featured charity – the United Way of Cape Breton, and Rotary. Both organizations work hard to help people in need and support community projects.
Since 2015, Rotary Ribfest has raised over $430,000 for local charities – the United Way, the Hospice Palliative Care Society of Cape Breton County; Caleb’s Courage and the Tom MacNeil Patient Care Fund at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation and Rotary’s local initiatives focused on youth, health, food insecurity, seniors, and community infrastructure.
Rotary Ribfest is made possible through the generous support of our community sponsors and the hard work of many community-minded volunteers.
SITE SERVICES
Accessible Parking
The parking lot located on Ferry Street, near to and facing the Park, has been reserved for individuals with mobility challenges. Accessible portable toilets are available. The terrain within the Park is flat and the grass surface is closely trimmed. A golf cart is available on-site to help with transportation. If you need assistance, reach out to the parking lot attendant, who will contact those responsible for the golf cart.
Washrooms
Public Washrooms can be found on site located next to the Children’s Entertainment area, the Bar area and just inside the Gate Entrance. Accessible washrooms are also located in these locations.
ATM Machines
Rotary Ribfest is a cash-only event however not everyone arrives with enough cash in hand, therefore two cash machines will be located on site. One cash machine is located in the bar area with the other in the Vendor Village area.