Declining crowds and rising costs imperil Ontario’s ribfests. But in Burlington and Waterdown, meat’s still on the menu

Where do Hamilton-area ribfests stand as others, including Niagara Falls’ long running event, are cancelled?

Local ribfests are “full steam ahead” planning for their 2025 events, despite a longtime Niagara Falls ribfest pulling the plug on its event.

In Burlington, the event — known as “Canada’s Largest Ribfest’ — is gearing up to host its 29th annual rib extravaganza, said co-organizer Brent Paszt.

Although the event — a fundraising initiative of Rotary Burlington Lakeshore — had some bumps in the past, including COVID-19 and economic downturns, planning is well underway for this year, Paszt said.

We’re not shuttering, that’s for sure.

“We’re full steam ahead for this year and we’re looking forward to it,” he said, noting the event sees roughly 125,000 to 130,000 visitors over the Labour Day weekend. “We’ve already started looking ahead to next year, which is our 30th anniversary.

“We’re not shuttering, that’s for sure.”

The event, which is held at Spencer Smith Park in downtown Burlington, has raised more than $5 million in its history, Paszt said. He added the club has done economic impact studies that estimate the impact to the city and region to be in the neighbourhood of $5 to $6 million per year.

Meanwhile, at Waterdown’s Oh Canada Ribfest — held over the Canada Day weekend — ribfest co-chair Nick Brown said organizers are two months into planning for the 16th annual event.

“We’re full steam ahead,” he said of the event, which is co-hosted by the Waterdown Rotary Club and the Flamborough A.M. Rotary Club. “Things are business as usual for us.”

In 2024, the Waterdown festival’s attendance hit an all-time high, Brown said, with more than 59,000 people passing through the gate over the weekend. Since its inception in 2010, Brown said the event has raised approximately $750,000, with all the money supporting community projects.

But in Niagara Falls, the picture is not so rosy.

The Niagara Falls Rotary Ribfest announced March 1 it was cancelling its event after 20 years.

“The difficult decision to conclude the annual event comes as a result of escalating expenses, a decline in available assistance, and a notable decrease in community participation and revenue,” the Rotary Club of Niagara Falls Sunrise said in a press release.

Scott Wright, the past president of the Rotary Club, told The Niagara Falls Review the event would draw about 22,000 people in peak years, but only attracted 11,000 people in 2024, forcing them to pull the plug.

He said crowds did not return after the pandemic, they have had less Rotary volunteers to put on the event and costs — including insurance, fence installation, garbage disposal and the sound system — have steadily risen.

Niagara Falls is not the only ribfest across the province in dire straits.

In Peterborough, the Kawartha Rotary Ribfest announced its cancellation after the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha pulled out, before a resident stepped in to save it.

And earlier this year, St. Catharines city council agreed to donate $15,000 to the St. Catharines Rotary Ribfest to offset rising expenses.

I don’t think sometimes people get a good sense of just how costly these events are to put on.

The Rotary Club of Bowmanville announced the cancellation of its event in February, as its normal site was not available and they could not find a suitable alternative. While organizers said they continue to look for alternative venues, even if one is found, it will be too late for the 2025 event.

While Paszt said he couldn’t comment specifically on the Niagara Falls cancellation, he said the costs to stage an event like ribfest are tremendous, adding the Burlington event scaled back following the pandemic to make it more efficient, in part due to rising costs.

“I don’t think sometimes people get a good sense of just how costly these events are to put on,” he said, adding the festival eliminated a second stage and beverage area, shrinking its footprint. “We got back to a state where we think we can continue — if we didn’t … we might be having the same conversation (as Niagara Falls).”

There are huge costs in things the public might not think about, Paszt said, such as fencing, toilets and garbage pickup, adding because Rotary clubs are charities, they don’t qualify for many government grants. In addition, the 400-plus volunteers it takes to hold the Burlington event are key.

“Everywhere down the line the events are getting tougher and tougher to put on,” he said, adding ribfests are also weather-dependent. “You have a rainy, cold weekend? That can really hurt an event.”

In Waterdown, Brown said organizers have been focused on cost containment and volunteers — adding it takes 520 four-hour volunteer shifts over the weekend to run the event.

“We continue to get great support from the community,” he said.

This is more than just a ribfest — it is a family event and there’s lots to do, lots to see, lots to eat.

So is there a future for ribfests?

“I think there’s a future in it,” Paszt said of Burlington, while noting many people are eating less meat or not eating pork or beef for religious reasons.

“We’ve got to pivot and make sure we have more vendors there who are offering a nonmeat option, a halal offering — trying to diversify our entertainment to be more inclusive.”

Similarly, Brown said he expects the Waterdown event to continue.

“It always seems to work for us so, until we really start to see attendance dip or our expenses just go through the roof, I think we’re only looking to get bigger, better and more creative.”

He noted the festival has brought in a number of options beside ribs, including an Indian food vendor — popular for Halal and vegetarian interests.

“This is more than just a ribfest — it is a family event and there’s lots to do, lots to see, lots to eat.”

Northern Heat Rib Series, a company that bills itself as North America’s largest rib and beer tour and hosts 15 ribfests across the province — including three in the Hamilton area — could not be reached for comment.

By Mac Christie Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator