What: Esquimalt Ribfest featuring the Bill Johnson Band, David James and Big River, Cities, Eagle Eyes and more
When: Friday (1 p.m.-10 p.m.), Saturday (11 a.m.-10 p.m.), and Sunday (11 a.m.-9 p.m.)
Where: Bullen Park, Esquimalt
Admission: Free (food is cash only)
Ribfest 鈥� the annual Esquimalt event that brings upwards of 40,000 food and music fans to Bullen Park each September 鈥� made an immediate impact on audiences when it started smoking in 2013.
However, the event will be missing a key part of its foundation this year. Local blues musician Jason Buie, who developed the music program through his five years with the festival, died suddenly in March at his Esquimalt home. He was 47.
Ribfest heads into its sixth year Friday with Buie鈥檚 role in Ribfest as an unofficial focal point of its music programming. One of Buie鈥檚 best friends, Brad Rugg, and his former bandmate in the Jason Buie Band, bassist Tim Brown, are serving as music co-ordinators for the event, which gets underway at 1 p.m. Friday. The stage will officially be renamed the Jason Buie Bandstand during a ceremony at 5 p.m. on Friday, with Buie鈥檚 parents and two of his children in attendance.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e ordered a neon sign with a guy playing a guitar on it,鈥� Rugg said. 鈥淲hich is fitting.鈥�
Buie, an award-winning blues guitarist, rarely missed a chance to perform at the festival he booked, and became the unofficial emcee for the weekend. 鈥淗e was the personable guy who got everybody talking,鈥� Rugg said. 鈥淗e had great stories, including one he told every year about how he was conceived in the parking lot behind the Archie Browning Centre.鈥�
The three-day event is a fundraiser for the Esquimalt Firefighters Charitable Foundation, which disperses net proceeds to youth-related organizations. Buie鈥檚 younger brother, Chris, is an Esquimalt firefighter. Rugg helped the Buie brothers during the festival鈥檚 early days, and is happy to be back on board, especially with the number of site improvements since the inaugural edition.
鈥淏ack then, we had a little stage with no cover on it, and booked pretty much anybody that would play,鈥� he said with a laugh. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have a real schedule or anything like that.鈥�
Nonetheless, the event drew 15,000 attendees. Last year, organizers say, 40,000 music and food fans were on site to sample the food. Grizzly Ribs from Vancouver Island and Smoke and Bones from Vancouver join ribbers from across sa国际传媒 鈥� including Prairie Smoke & Spice BBQ (Saskatchewan), Misty Mountain BBQ (Alberta) and Ontario cookers Gator BBQ and Boss Hog 鈥� as competitors at the event this year.
Buie鈥檚 role as music co-ordinator reached new heights in 2015. Rugg said 鈥渢hings started to ramp up鈥� when Buie secured the Odds and Shaun Verreault of Wide Mouth Mason as headliners. The festival used a bigger stage, in order to put performers on a pedestal.
Now, that same stage will bear the name of the performer who developed it.
鈥淭here will be a lot of emotion all weekend,鈥� Rugg said. 鈥淏ut we want to keep it upbeat. Jason鈥檚 goal was to create a festival that could be sustainable, so that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to do.鈥�
