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A variety of food stands serving up barbecued meats of all sorts will be the centerpiece at the fourth annual Elkhorn Ribfest from July 11-14 at the Walworth County Fairgrounds.

ELKHORN—Food, fun and love have been Donna RiceÃÛèÖÊÓƵ life since she started on the barbecue festival circuit in 1989.

She and her husband were using an old ambulance to transport their products in 1990 when they entered their first big show.

They won that national cook-off and its $15,000 prize, she said, and could soon afford to replace the ambulance.

Rice, a retired schoolteacher from Cleveland, will bring her decades of experience to the fourth annual Elkhorn Ribfest from July 11-14 at the Walworth County Fairgrounds. She’ll be joined by nine other veterans of the barbecue circuit who will compete for awards in categories that include Best Ribs, Best Sauce, PeopleÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Choice and Grand Champion.

The ribbers also will share their finger-lickin’ delicacies with the thousands of people who have thronged previous Ribfests for the music, food and other brands of fun.

Pro ribbers are coming from places such as Texas, Ohio, Florida, Minnesota, Illinois and Australia, said Larry Gaffey, fest organizer and general manager of the fairgrounds.

“These are some of the best in the world,� he said.

The recipe seems to draw crowds. The fest has grown each year and reached about 60,000 last year, Gaffey said. Social media suggest that figure will grow by 30 percent this year, he said.

A group of area ribbers will compete separately. They include up-and-comers LDÃÛèÖÊÓƵ, which runs a restaurant in East Troy, and some others from Illinois, Gaffey said. A third set of about 25 local backyard barbecuers will take part in yet another separate contest.

“ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ a lot of hard work, but itÃÛèÖÊÓƵ fun,â€� Rice said of her life on the road. “You get to meet people all over the country.â€�

When Gaffey was planning the first Elkhorn Ribfest, two years before it began, Rice was one of the people he called for advice, she said. She has cooked in Elkhorn since the fest started.

“We love the people. They love us. ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ just really a great place to be,â€� she said of Elkhorn.

While itÃÛèÖÊÓƵ called Ribfest, ribbers cook all kinds of barbecue, Gaffey said.

Rice said she offers beef ribs, pork ribs, rib tips, chicken sausage, pulled pork, brisket and shrimp.

Ribbers offer dry rub and a variety of sauces in addition to cornbread, potato salad and other fixings.

“One guyÃÛèÖÊÓƵ got the most amazing peach cobbler,â€� Gaffey said.

Ribfest-goers don’t pay for admission or parking, but they do pay for the food. Gaffey said to expect prices similar to what you would see at a good barbecue restaurant.

“ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ one of the most relaxed festivals you’ll ever go to. People just love it,â€� he said.

RiceÃÛèÖÊÓƵ DesperadoÃÛèÖÊÓƵ BBQ & Rib Co. boasts 440 first-place awards in 28 states. In 2009, when her husband and rib-cooking partner didn’t feel well at a cook-off in the Reno suburb of Sparks, Nevada, he turned in early.

“I said, ‘I’ll talk to you in the morning. Love you,’� she said.

He ended up in the hospital with a massive stroke, Rice said.

“We won Reno that year. I hope it wasn’t a sympathy win,� she said. “But that was so sweet that the team could do it and win. I have a great team.�

Though her husband died in 2012, Donna kept on cookin’.

“They didn’t think I could do it as a woman, but I showed ‘em,� she said. After all, she ran a classroom for 38 years, she added.

Now, Donna is talking about selling the business. But before she does, people can still enjoy her and her mouth-watering barbecue for a few days next month in Elkhorn.

Gazette file photo 

An aerial view of the 2017 Freedom Fest at New Life Assembly of God church in Janesville shows crowds of attendees gathered for the annual Fourth of July event

JANESVILLE—Janesvillians have myriad opportunities to listen to live music, eat delicious food and gaze at fireworks this Fourth of July.

Freedom Fest, a local Independence Day staple, will showcase show-stopping headliners and a slate of food trucks Saturday, June 29. The festival will take place on the grounds of New Life Assembly of God, 2416 N. Wright Road, and also will feature 13 large carnival rides.

ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ also completely free.

“When the gates open at 10 o’clock, people can run right over to the rides and ride them straight for 12 hours should their stomachs permit them to,� said pastor Jason Karampatsos.

Another festival, Independence Day on the Rock, will take place at JanesvilleÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Traxler Park on Thursday, July 4. It is sponsored by the Rock Aqua Jays water-ski show team.

At Independence on the Rock, patrons can chose from a selection of food trucks to satisfy their appetites. There also will be a beer tent, where the band Pinky and the Brain will take the stage at 3 p.m. Inflatables for kids also will be available starting at 3 p.m.

The night will end with a performance by the Rock Aqua Jays on the Rock River at 7 p.m. A fireworks show sponsored by Festival Foods will follow at dusk. The concert, ski show and fireworks are free for spectators.

Joshua Fox, Independence Day on the Rock chairman, said he suspected about 10,000 people watched the ski show last year.

At Freedom Fest, new food options for 2019 will include wood-fired pizza, hand-scooped ice cream and iced coffee, Karampatsos said. Folks also can bring their own food, he said.

The event is scheduled to last from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

In addition to the fun and festivities, hundreds of bags of free food will be given away at the church from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in what Karampatsos dubbed the “compassion component.� Free health screenings also will be provided by Mercyhealth Hospital & Trauma Center, Janesville, and veterans services will be offered.

Fresh produce will be among the free food options at this yearÃÛèÖÊÓƵ event, Karampatsos said.

The night will end with the singing of the national anthem and a fireworks show at dusk, he said.

Karampatsos said Freedom Fest largely is put on by the community, and that it is the largest single-day event in Rock County. Between 20,000 and 30,000 people are expected to attend, he said.

“ThereÃÛèÖÊÓƵ quite a large footprint. ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ something that many in our community kind of look forward to, and to be a part of in their own unique way,â€� Karampatsos said.

He said volunteers also are welcome to help serve at the festival.