Memorial Day Weekend has long been the unofficial start of summer, and the best summer foods are the ones you eat with your bare hands like watermelon, corn on the cob and ribs. Meaty, saucy, delicious ribs that coat your lips and cheeks with spicy-sweet glory. Whether you like yours smoky, spicy or saucy, ribs are practically our national foodstuff. Maybe it’s because these finger-licking-kind-of-messy foods are downright delightful. Or, perhaps it’s because these meaty masterpieces offer up a great chance to eat, drink, party and repeat. Probably a combo of both. Berea's National Rib Cook-Off gathers the country's best "ribbers" - a.k.a. the grillmasters who spend all year perfecting their approach to barbecue--at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. If that wasn't enticing enough, the fest also offer well-rounded, family-geared music and entertainment that won't bust your wallet. Wet naps will be available in abundance, but as any respectable rib-eater knows, why would you waste that savory sauce on a wet nap? There’s no judgment here, this is where the term “finger-licking good” comes from. Berea’s National Rib Cook-Off, May 22 – 25 at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, promises a fantastic weekend of ribs, traditional fair foods, more lip-smacking ribs, a children’s section with bouncy area, mouthwatering rib delights, live music, fall-off-the-bone deliciousness and other rib-tastic activities. Admission is FREE on Fridays before 5:00 PM, and just $10 after that. What You’ll See A carefully selected crew of America's greatest ribbers bringing their A-game serving up slabs of tender meat. The cook-off awards prizes for (among other things) “Best Ribs” and “Best Sauce.” Do calories count when it’s a long weekend? That’s yet to determined. Regardless, if you’re feeling frisky, dance off that full rack at performances from local party bands and tribute acts covering genres from country to rock. What Else To Do In addition to barbecue, patrons can chomp on summer carnival staples like deep-fried desserts, cotton candy, ice cream, classic fair fries and corndogs. Let your kids run off their excess energy in the kids’ zone.
