Northern Heat Rib Series has announced its 2026 schedule, with at least three events in Hamilton over the next few months.
The very first Ribfest of the season takes place in Binbrook over the Victoria Day long weekend at Binbrook Fairgrounds from Saturday, May 16 to Monday, May 18.
North America’s largest rib and beer tour will also be coming to Stoney Creek and Hamilton Mountain.
Northern Heat Ribfest also usually stops in Ancaster, but the location is not yet listed on their website.
However, Northern Heat Series says that they will be holding an event from Friday, July 31 to Monday, Aug. 3 during the August long weekend, with details coming soon as to the location.
After Binbrook, the next event in Hamilton will be the Stoney Creek Ribfest at Eastgate Square Mall from Friday, July 17 to Sunday, July 19.
This is the third year in a row that the Ribfest has been coming to that location.
The event will be held in the northeastern parking lot off Centennial Parkway, and free parking is available on site.
The final Ribfest in Hamilton will be on the Mountain at Lime Ridge Mall at the northwestern lot near Fortinos from Friday, Aug. 7, to Sunday, Aug. 9.
The music lineup at the Hamilton-based Ribfests includes The Tragically Trip (Tribute to Tragically Hop), Just Jovi (Tribute to Bon Jovi), Jack Sith, Wicked Truth, Led by Zeppelin (Tribute to Led Zeppelin), Big Dan Band, Otis Wonder and The Hustle, Wrestle with Jimmy, Little Peter and the Elegants, Pink Leather Jackets, Crazy Babies (Rod Clarke’s Tribute to Ozzy/Sabbath), and Fried Bologna.
There is a $3 admission fee per person for each event, with free entry for children under five years of age.
The Ribfests also feature a Beer Market sponsored by Budweiser, which will offer a selection of Labatt products, Pelee Island wine, ready-to-drink Mike’s Hard coolers, Canadian Club mixers, and Black Fly frozen beverages.
The event sponsors this year are Budweiser, Labatt, Mike’s, Canadian Club, Pelee Island Winery, Blackfly Spirit Beverages, and Pepsi.
Each RibFest has up to five rib trucks per show, with some also including rides for small children.
All events will have a kids’ zone.
Northern Heat Rib Series, which is a locally operated festival group that originated in 2016, notes that all BBQ teams are supplied with “all Canadian-produced ribs and other meat.”
At the festival, those who vote for their favourite ribs and sauce will be entered into a draw for a $100 gift card. Full details are available at each event.
Pets are welcome at the event but must be leashed and cleaned up after. Those wishing to bring pets must also fill out a waiver, which can be found online.
There are 14 different RibFests across Ontario this year, with other locations outside of Hamilton including Windsor, Newmarket, Thornhill, Caledonia, Toronto Beaches, Downtown Toronto, Waterloo, Milton, Midland, Orillia, and South Windsor.
More details for all events can be found at www.northernheatribseries.ca
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
