Return of the ribs: Caledon Ribfest held last weekend

July 12, 2023 · 0 Comments

Three-day celebration of barbeque well received, says organizer

By Zachary Roman

An event missed by many returned to Caledon last weekend.

From July 7 to 9, Caledon Ribfest was held in the Bolton Canadian Tire parking lot.

There were three “ribbers” in attendance, many food and drink vendors, and the event featured live music and a beer garden each day.

Anthony Caputo of The Caputo Group led the push to bring back Caledon Ribfest. In an interview after the event, he said that he was exhausted but really happy. He said everyone that came to the event was pleased with how it turned out, from Caledon Mayor Annette Groves, to community members, to Caputo’s own friends and family.

“I had people I’ve never met before that came up to me and said ‘this is amazing’,” said Caputo. “Everyone was extremely happy that it was back.”

So long as there is a venue available, Caputo said Caledon Ribfest will be back next year, too.

This year, the winner of the best ribs award was Ribs Royale.

Caputo said he wanted to thank Mayor Groves and members of Caledon Council for having his back in making the event happen. He also thanked Terry Groves, without whom he said the event couldn’t have happened. Finally, Caputo gave a big thank you to students from St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Bolton. Many students from the school volunteered at Caledon Ribfest to get their volunteer hours and Caputo said they were a big help.

Ribfest events are great for the economies of the communities they’re held in, said Caputo, adding that traffic to all businesses surrounding Caledon Ribfest increased over the time the event was held.

“Ribfest is a real economic driver that I really believe should happen yearly,” said Caputo.