AKRON, Ohio — The Rib, White and Blue Festival is a summer staple in Downtown Akron—but it hasn't been held since 2019. After the multi-year hiatus, the popular festival made its return to Main Street to feed hungry guests and provide four days of free entertainment for all.
Akron's rib burnoff has been a part of the city's tradition for decades.
"The Red, White and Blue festival is a 40-plus year festival," said Lock 3 park manager Chris Griffith. "When I was growing up here in Akron as a kid, it was just an annual thing you did. You saw the fireworks, you came down to the rib festival, and you walked up and down Main Street."
But in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the annual festivities. The following year, the pandemic situation was still not in a place where organizers felt comfortable hosting it, and it was canceled once again. After announcing its return last year, the festival was canceled again in 2022 following the shooting of Jayland Walker and subsequent protests held throughout the Downtown area.
The hiatus was hard for the city, putting a strain on the expected summer visitors and the boost the festival provides to the city's economy each year.
"It's been hard for us because, again, that's what we built these events around—the people here in Akron, for the businesses and for the residents and things like that," Griffith said.
Residents like Constanze Roberson missed the fun the festival brought and was disappointed with each cancellation as years passed without her children getting to experience the festival she had enjoyed for years.
"I haven’t been down here in a long time. And my kids never got a chance to experience it," she said.
However, in 2023, Rib, White and Blue made its return to Downtown Akron.
From July 1 through July 4, BBQ was back on the menu for guests to come down and sample, with voting held for best ribs between seven different rib vendors. With free parking and admission, as well as free nightly concerts at Lock 3, Rib, White and Blue Festival was back in the summer mix.
However, instead of taking a large stretch of Main Street, this year's festival was much smaller. Held near the end of Main and wrapped around to Bowert Street, the festival did feel a bit different.
"It used to be the whole strip, though. It's kind of different," Roberson said.
That's something organizers admit—but say it's the start of something bigger.
"It's a little smaller than most people are used to, but that's just the start. We're going to start here, and we're going to just keep working. And that's what our goal is with these festivals and these events and restaurants—to show people we're here, and we're just going to keep building up from there," Griffith said.
For After Hours Barbeque, the winner of the People's Choice Award for best rib this year, getting to participate in Rib, White and Blue was something they'd been looking forward to for some time. Now that they've finally made their debut and taken home some hardware—this festival is something they are interested in making an annual thing.
"We're from Oriville; we're not that far away. We had come to the rib fest for years ourselves as visitors, and it's real exciting to see the amount of people that are coming down and the excitement in the air and everybody having a good time," said Gregg Clark with After Hours Barbeque. "We will be here every year as long as they'll keep us."
The festivities wrap Tuesday night around 9:45 p.m. with a free fireworks display for the Fourth of July—but the return this year has those in the community hopeful for what's to come next.
"Hope that we can bring downtown back live. Get more stuff down here; open it up more for everyone to come down," Roberson said.
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