Zanesville Rib Fest in full swing this weekend

ZANESVILLE — Almost as soon as clocks hit 4 p.m. Friday, people started showing up at the Muskingum County Fairgrounds for the 12th annual Rib Fest.

One of the vendors with early lines of customers was Tennessee Pit Smoke Shack, out of Columbus.

“We’ve been doing this for about 10 years,” said Carolyn Marshall, whose son owns Tennessee Pit Smoke Shack.

Marshall said she and the rest of the company travel full-time to events and festivals — such as the Rib Fest in Zanesville — all across Ohio. And when winter hits and the weather becomes too cold for events to take place, Marshall said they head south to Florida.

“We go all over, and we do this year-round,” she said.

Marshall said they didn’t win the rib competition in Zanesville last year, but they’re going to try again this year. The competition is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

“For a small city, (Zanesville) is nice,” she said. “The people are good. They’re faithful.”

Events such as the Rib Fest are beneficial to smaller cities like Zanesville, Marshall said.

Roy Schultz, of Zanesville, said he and his wife, Glenna, come to the Rib Fest every year, and every year they eat at Tennessee Pit Smoke Shack.

“It’s a community thing,” Schultz said. “It’s something different ... and I think they ought to have it more than once a year.”

And for some vendors, this year is their first at the Rib Fest. Dale Phillips, owner of Phillips Meat Processing in Zanesville, said he’d heard positive reviews of the event from friends and thought he’d give it a try this year.

Phillips said he won’t be participating in the barbecue competition, nor will he be selling meat at all; instead, he will be focusing on serving the company’s potato recipes.

“I think this community needs stuff like this,” he said. “It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and they can just mingle.”

Phillips grew up in Zanesville, has lived here all of his life, and read the travel article circulated a few months ago that called Zanesville one of the worst cities in Ohio.

“That to me was just a slap in the face,” he said. “Stuff like (the Rib Fest) will change that.”

Food will be served beginning around 2 p.m. Saturday, and it will be served until the event ends. There also will be live music and activities for children.

ksnyder2@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

740-450-6752

Twitter: @KL_Snyder

Rib Fest live music schedule

The following bands are planned for Saturday:

•4 to 5 p.m.: Slap Jack

•5:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Jimmy Vincent

•7 to 8:15 p.m.: Inner City Blues Band

•8:45 to 10 p.m.: Funky Gurus

•10 to 11:30 p.m.: Hot Boyz