Friday + Saturday 11AM-11PM
Sunday 11AM-7PM

Music & Family Fun

All eyes will be centre stage at Open Hearth Park in Sydney on July 14, 15 and 16 as an impressive array of music and family fun activities are offered at Rotary Ribfest 2023.

Juno-nominated singer and songwriter Matt Minglewood will be on stage on Friday night. Other showcased entertainers include Isabella Samson; Donnie Campbell and Jinks O’Neill; Elyse Aeryn; the Island Bhangra dancers; the Ribfest Ceilidh Band featuring members of Beòlach and Còig; Andrew Doyle; Jordan Musycsyn; Cassidy Riley; Jacob Noonan; Aaron Lewis and Kimberley Fraser; Keith Mullins and Morgan Toney; and Those Guys Jazz Trio.

And don’t miss out on the family fun as Bounce Kingdom, the SkyHawks Parachute Team and military displays will all be part of this years Rotary Ribfest.


DON’T MISS OUT ON THE

family fun

Canadian Armed Forces Parachute Team, the SkyHawks

SkyHawks This year is a very special landmark year for the SkyHawks as they celebrate 50 years of performances. Rotary Ribfest organizers were very pleased to learn that the SkyHawks will join us from July 14-16 to delight the crowd with displays of complex parachute maneuvers. Come on out and see the SkyHawk jumps and…Read More

Isabella Samson

2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards Young Performer of the Year and winner of Music Nova Scotia’s Folk/Roots Album of the Year, Isabella Samson has been making serious waves in the East Coast. A tasteful glimpse into the mind of a young woman navigating life, love, and the world around her, Samson’s music has been described…Read More

Donnie Campbell and Jinks O’Neill

Donnie and Jinks have been performing together for more than ten years. They play: Festivals, concerts, corporate events, restaurants, living wakes, house concerts and nursing homes. Donnie Campbell has a rich musical pedigree reaching back generations. In the early 1970’s, Donnie was a member of the popular Maritime folk group, Miller’s Jug. He has performed…Read More

Jordan Musycsyn

Jordan is a hard-working singer/songwriter and a masterful storyteller, writing songs about life and love with pathos and humor in a Folk/Americana style. He sustains a busy touring schedule throughout Canada in support of his third album ‘Around The Fire’ which won him an ECMA in 2021. His sophomore album ‘Old State Of Mind’ (2017)…Read More

Cassidy Riley

Cassidy Riley is a 19 year old vocalist from Sydney, Nova Scotia. Cassidy just signed a record deal with the independent record label HOF Records and has released her first single “Fear of Flying” written by Gordie Sampson and produced by Aaron Lewis and Sheldon Chant.  Cassidy’s voice is way beyond her years and her…Read More

Matt Minglewood

Matt Minglewood – genre – Northern Rock with a Canadianna feel, a musical hybrid with one foot steeped in the musical roots of blues & country and the other knee-deep in rock. To quote one fan “We had a blast! A cornucopia of awesomeness ” What’s in store at a Minglewood Show – tunes from…Read More

Canadian Armed Forces Parachute Team, the SkyHawks

This year is a very special landmark year for the SkyHawks as they celebrate 50 years of performances. Rotary Ribfest organizers were very pleased to learn that the SkyHawks will join us from July 14-16 to delight the crowd with displays of complex parachute maneuvers. Come on out and see the SkyHawk jumps and demonstrations…Read More

Jacob Noonan

Cape Breton-raised, Jacob cut his teeth playing live in Halifax’s “The Regal Beagle Band”.  Upon returning home, Jacob has been delving deeper into the writing process and his own experiences to create songs as rich in emotion, honesty, and storytelling as they are in tone and rhythm. He has also taken this time to polish…Read More

Elyse Aeryn

Singer-songwriter Elyse Aeryn is known for her fiery and rebellious rock and roll. Her bluesy melodies paired with her bold, warm voice make for an authentic and ageless sound. For Elyse, a lifelong writer, the words and stories come first. She pens lyrics that tell the truth about her own life in the hope they will illuminate the truth in…Read More

Aaron Lewis and Kimberley Fraser

Kimberley Fraser was born on Cape Breton Island and nurtured within its rich musical heritage. She first began to impress audiences at the age of three with her step-dancing talents. Soon after that she took up both the fiddle and the piano. Since then, Kimberley has built a distinguished career, travelling and performing all over…Read More

Island Bhangra Dancers

Island Bhangra is a group of dance performers originally from India who have been entertaining audiences on Cape Breton Island for the last number of years.  The group is part of the Cape Breton Influencers, an organization that partners with groups and organizations to cross-share their Indian culture and love of dance. The organization hosts…Read More

Ribfest Ceilidh Band with members of Beolach & Coig

“RibFest Ceilidh Band” featuring,Wendy MacIsaacMac MorinMairi RankinRachel DavisDarren McMullen Wendy MacIsaac, Mac Morin and Mairi Rankin are 3 of the founding members of the band Beòlach, who are coming up on 25 years now. They have toured with the band extensively throughout Canada, the USA, Scotland and Germany and have been invited as the group and…Read More

Canadian Armed Forces Parachute Team, the SkyHawks

This year is a very special landmark year for the SkyHawks as they celebrate 50 years of performances. Rotary Ribfest organizers were very pleased to learn that the SkyHawks will join us from July 14-16 to delight the crowd with displays of complex parachute maneuvers. Come on out and see the SkyHawk jumps and demonstrations…Read More

Keith Mullins & Morgan Toney

Mi’kmaq fiddler and singer Morgan Toney brings together the fiery fiddling of Cape Breton Island with the old songs of the Mi’kmaq with brilliance and heart. First Flight, Toney’s award nominated debut album, celebrates language and heritage in Toney’s transformation of traditional songs like the Ko’jua and the Mi’kmaq Honour Song. Watch for this young…Read More

Those Guys Jazz Trio

“Those Guys”, that’s us, we’re “Those Guys”, Ian Aker, Ron LaFitte and Doug Johnson. And we are pumped to be playing Ribfest! Expect a cool mix of instrumental jazz standards and songs, with a shot of R&B that will have you stylin’ on the dance floor! Ian, Ron and Doug have been a part of…Read More

Andrew Doyle

For the past 25 plus years Andrew Doyle has been entertaining crowds far and wide with his energetic style and diverse musical repertoire.  Consistently performing more than 220 dates each year he remains one of the busiest entertainers in Cape Breton. Whether it is opening for bands like Aerosmith and Slash, hitting the stage at…Read More

View the full weekend

Schedule

Family Fun Activities

Bounce Kingdom

Bounce Kingdom will be back to provide the Rotary Ribfest Fun Zone, featuring inflatables, bounce houses, rock climbing and more!

SkyHawks

This year is a very special landmark year for the SkyHawks as they celebrate 50 years of performances. Rotary Ribfest organizers were very pleased to learn that the SkyHawks will join us from July 14-16 to delight the crowd with displays of complex parachute maneuvers.

Come on out and see the SkyHawk jumps and demonstrations scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 11 am at Open Hearth Park. (weather permitting)

Military Displays

Military displays will be set up on the grounds for individuals who would like to learn more about the Canadian Armed Forces, equipment life in the forces and the job opportunities available.

Equipment on display will include:

  • Griffon – a tactical helicopter;
  • TAPV – an armoured reconnaissance vehicle; and
  • Rhib – an assault boat used by the engineers in Victoria Park

Soulvaria Virtual Reality Gaming

From small private parties to large events with thousands of people, Soulvaria VR provides guests with amazing and immersive Mobile VR Play Spaces jam packed with exciting experiences and adventures.

Music & Family Fun

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