According to Savannah Casey of the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry, planning for the event began 18 months ago and involved extensive coordination between Chamber officials, City staff, vendors, sponsors and community organizations.

“The committee has been working on this for 18 months,” Casey said. “It takes a lot of planning and moving parts to secure three master ribbers.”

The featured rib vendors, Swine BBQ, Pigfoot and After Hours BBQ, are traveling from Ohio and typically book their schedules at least a year in advance. Casey noted that the vendors had originally been scheduled to attend the Celoron Rib Fest, which was canceled this year.

Organizers faced several logistical challenges while preparing for the event, including infrastructure improvements necessary to support the festival.

RibFest begins on Thursday welcoming Warren residents and tourists to Liberty Street.

“When planning an event, you really have to make sure that what you want to do can be feasibly achieved with the infrastructure you have,” Casey said. “For example, we needed to make sure the electricity on Liberty Street could handle the demand. We ultimately had to make upgrades.”

Beyond the food, RibFest is expected to provide an economic boost for downtown businesses. Organizers have worked closely with local merchants to coordinate promotions and extended hours during the festival.

“We hope this event is received positively by local businesses,” Casey said. “The more we work together, the better the outcome for everyone involved.”

If weather conditions cooperate, organizers anticipate a busy weekend in downtown Warren. The event also serves as a kickoff to one of the community’s busiest periods leading into Fourth of July celebrations.

Casey said organizers hope RibFest will become an annual tradition once again.

“This is just the beginning,” she said. “A relaunch of an event that has been gone for so long is difficult. However, we have planned well and added things that we feel will entice people to come out to the event.”

Organizers are already considering ideas for future festivals and plan to gather feedback from attendees, downtown businesses and community members following this year’s event.

In addition to the barbecue vendors, attendees can expect to find Sweet Sarah’s Kettle Korn, Sip It Drinks and Fowler’s Taffy & Concessions. Nonprofit organizations from throughout Warren County will also be set up along Second Avenue on Friday and Saturday, providing exposure for local groups and community initiatives.

Casey also highlighted the importance of sponsorships and community partnerships in making the festival possible.

Top-tier “Pit Master Level” sponsors include VT Power, Pipeworks, and Whirley DrinkWorks. Additional support has been provided by Southern Tier Brewing, which is sponsoring the beer tent, along with All Image Graphics and the Explore Downtown Merchants group.

The Chamber also credited the City of Warren and numerous community partners for helping bring the event together.

City crews helped prepare downtown for the festival and upcoming Fourth of July celebrations, while organizers also received assistance from local groups that provided equipment such as a stage, tables and chairs.

Casey said those partnerships demonstrate the collaborative spirit that makes community events successful and hopes RibFest’s return will mark the beginning of a new tradition in downtown Warren.