HENDRICKS COUNTY RIB-FEST
20 Years of Flavor, Fun & Fireworks
By Matt Beardmore
It was “a big disappointment” for all involved when last year’s Hendricks County
Rib-Fest & BBQ was cut short due to inclement weather. That letdown, though, has only built up the
excitement as the community prepares for the Greater Avon Chamber of Commerce’s 20th Annual
Rib-Fest & BBQ on Saturday, June 28, at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds in Danville.
“We were off to a great start last year as far as sales and then a huge storm came in and knocked
tents everywhere,” said Tom Downard, the executive director of the Greater Avon Chamber of
Commerce for the last 25 years. “The storm came through at 3:15 in the afternoon, so we had to
cancel the event from that point on. There were no fireworks, no Balloon Glow, and we couldn’t
start the concerts, either. It was a big disappointment for us.”
Jaime Bohler Smith, the executive director and CEO of Visit Hendricks County since 2002, has been a
regular at the Hendricks County Rib-Fest & BBQ over the years with her son and daughter. But she missed
the 2024 festivities.
“I was out of town, so I was texting Tracy and she was sending me photos of what was
happening,” Smith said of Tracy Whetstone, senior partnerships manager at Visit Hendricks County
and an Avon Chamber of Commerce board member. “We were fortunate that nobody was hurt and nothing
was severely damaged. It was a disappointment that the event was cut short, but that makes this
year’s 20th anniversary even more exciting.”
Make no mistake, there is plenty of excitement building for this year’s event, which has been in
the planning stages for months. Downard estimates the festival will draw between 10,000 and 13,000
attendees from all across Hendricks County and beyond.
Those estimates speak to the fest’s growth and increased popularity since it started in 2005 as a
small family event in Washington Township Park. As the Rib-Fest grew, the event moved to Kingsway
Christian Church in Avon. A few years ago, the decision was made to move the Rib-Fest out of Avon to
nearby Danville as the existing space could not keep pace with the increasing number of festival-goers
and vendors.
This will be the fourth year the Rib-Fest & BBQ will take place at the 4-H Fairgrounds. Steve
Patterson, executive director of the 4-H Fairgrounds, said the 150-acre facility has the capacity to
host events for up to 15,000 people.
“Avon looked beyond this just being a community town event and considered what this event could
mean for the County,” Smith said. “That was very progressive for them at the time – I
don’t know if a lot of communities would have done that. The Avon Chamber knew they could take
this opportunity at the fairgrounds and grow. Moving to the fairgrounds has provided them with a bigger
footprint.”
Patterson’s team, which includes Facilities Manager Chris Feuquay, Rental Coordinator Mikayla
Patterson, and others, have been working closely with the Avon Chamber of Commerce since December 2024
on planning for the event.
“We’re looking at what their needs are and what our staffing needs are in terms of setting
up tents, maintaining the trash and restrooms, and managing the festival parking (which costs $10 this
year),” Steve Patterson said.
“Steve and his team have just been fantastic to work with,” Chamber Executive Director
Downard said.
Downard and the Chamber are hoping for 200 or so volunteers to help during the one-day festival, which
is packed with activities for all ages.
“We’ve added a Touch a Truck event for the kids, who will be able to get on and play in
everything from a school bus and ambulance to a helicopter and bulldozer,” Downard said.
“We’re also adding a children’s entrepreneurial area in which kids can make their own
goods to sell.” The chamber is expecting between 17-25 youth vendors.
In addition to bringing on a few new BBQ vendors, the chamber is expanding the use of credit cards as
2024 was the first time festival-goers could pay for food with credit cards instead of needing to buy
food tickets. “Hopefully that will make the experience more efficient and better for
visitors,” Downard said.
As in year’s past, the Rib-Fest & BBQ begins in the morning with the Rib Run (the 10th Annual
Rib-Fest 5K/Run/Walk and Kids Riblet Run). There will be a free petting zoo and inflatables for the kids
to enjoy, live music for the whole family, a competition for “Best Ribs” and “Best
Sauce,” and the 4th Annual Plainfield Lions Club Craft Fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
in Hendricks Power Expo Hall.
The hugely popular Balloon Glow, an “illumination of festive hot air balloons,” and
fireworks will cap off the day-long event.
To learn more about the Greater Avon Chamber of Commerce’s 20th Annual Rib-Fest & BBQ, please
visit https://www.avonchamber.org/hendricks-country-rib-fest/
and https://www.visithendrickscounty.com/events/festivals/ribfest/.
