Cooking up a feast
Peter Napier (left) and Derek Fingler were busy cooking up around 500 half racks of ribs for ticket holders attending the 2019 Winchester Ribfest. Napier explained they began cooking around 3:30 p.m. and would continue until the last rack was ready for customers. Thompson Goddard photo
WINCHESTER – The fantastic weather, amazing music, scrumptious food and the opportunity to come together as a community all contributed to the success of the 2019 Ribfest held in Sweet Corner Park on Fri., June 7. It was a wonderful way to end a week and enjoy some sunshine.
Winchester was bustling with activity during their Ribfest event; with people of all ages enjoying the music, food and fun, it was the perfect way to end the week. Thank you to the Winchester Downtown Revitalization Committee and volunteers for facilitating this event. Thompson Goddard photo
North Dundas Mayor Tony Fraser mentioned how Ribfest “is a kick-off event for the summer in Winchester” before thanking all the volunteers and extending a big thank you to the Winchester Downtown Revitalization Committee for organizing this, and the many other events that are planned for Sweet Corner over the summer.
Volunteers were busily selling tickets, serving hungry customers and cooking 500 half racks of ribs while residents and visitors were ready to enjoy generous servings of baked beans, coleslaw and rolls to accompany the delicious star of the plate – the barbecued ribs. The ice cream dessert provided by Watters Financial Group, the event’s exclusive sponsor, finished off the hearty meal perfectly.
One of the volunteers serving up food commented how he enjoyed seeing the children playing in the park, friends and neighbours visiting and called Ribfest “a nice community event.” When asked about the name of the park he explained it was named after Aaron Sweet a former resident of Winchester who owned the land where the park is now located.
As the delicious aroma of ribs sizzling on the barbecue swirled over Sweet Corner, there were refreshments available to enjoy while visiting or listening to Branded, a local musical group playing in the park’s gazebo. Band member Jeff Nelson described Branded’s music as predominately country rock.
Once again, North Dundas has demonstrated the dedication of community volunteers who work so faithfully to provide opportunities for residents and guests to enjoy fun, food and fellowship.
Carolyn Thompson Goddard, grew up in Chesterville and attended North Dundas District High School. After completing her BA in Political Science at Carleton University she has worked as a medical secretary and library technician. In 2020 she graduated from Algonquin College with a diploma in Journalism and has been a reporter and column writer for The Chesterville Record for over 10 years.
