Exchange Club of Naperville’s Ribfest To Be Held At DuPage County Fairgrounds

Exchange Club of Naperville's Ribfest To Be Held At DuPage County Fairgrounds
Donate Today

The Exchange Club of Naperville’s Ribfest is moving to Wheaton.

The festival, which had a home in Naperville for 32 years, will be held at the DuPage County Fairgrounds this year. The dates of the festival will be changing as well, shifting from a Fourth of July celebration to Father’s Day weekend instead.

Move Out of Naperville

The annual event had to move out of Naperville’s Knoch Park due to planned construction there. It celebrated its last nights at Knoch in 2019. The festival had been set to move to Romeoville, but once the pandemic hit, those plans had to be canceled for both 2020 and 2021. Event organizers had made a pitch to the Naperville Park District to bring Ribfest back to Naperville at the Frontier Sports Complex, but that request was rejected.

Familiar Fun

This year it will take place at the DuPage County Expo and Fairgrounds from June 17 through June 20 with all the regular favorites: a carnival, a family fun area, exhibits and of course, ribs – with no entry fee for those sections. There will also be an entertainment site for premium artists’ performances, which will require a ticket purchase. VIP tickets will also return, and will give access to upgraded bathrooms, closer parking, a private entrance and better seating and views to the stage.

The fairgrounds offer ample parking, but there will also be shuttle service to the gates provided.

Charitable Event

Ribfest acts as a major fundraiser for the Exchange Club of Naperville, with proceeds donated back to the community to local charities, particularly agencies focused on eliminating child abuse and domestic violence, along with community service. NCTV17 is one of the recipients.

More information about the festival can be found on the Ribfest website.

Naperville News 17’s Kim Pirc reports.

If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!