How To Enjoy Rock'n Ribs

Follow your nose to great barbecue for a good cause. (If your nose takes you anywhere other than to Rock'n Ribs, try again).

Warm weather is for barbecuing, and there’s hardly a better way to welcome barbecue season than to join the throng outside Bass Pro Shops and eat (read: eat way more than your fill) of the smoky, tender, juicy, slow-cooked goodness at this year’s Rock’n Ribs festival. Every year the fundraiser’s barbecue teams and a crowd of barbecue devourers fill the Bass Pro Shops parking lot to raise money for 417-land children’s charities. What do you need to know to make the most of the weekend? Well, there are three things to watch for April 18–19: The weekend of barbecue, the 417 Winners Dinner and the GO Music Awards.

Step 1 Starting Friday Night: Go to Rock’n Ribs Proper

There’s a lot to keep visitors busy the weekend through. Only grown-ups (21 and older) get to come to the Friday night V.I.P. party, where barbecue teams will enter margarita and side-dish contests. Bands on the mainstage are Steve Smith and the Sneakers, followed by M-Dock.

There are plenty of family-friendly activities as well. Bring the kids on Saturday afternoon, when you can roam the booths and taste chicken, ribs, pork shoulder and beef brisket. Show a little love for your favorites in the People’s Choice Awards. Adding a little action to a day of good eats is a gyroscope ride (maybe an activity to take part in before you go all out on the beef brisket). Visit rocknribs.com for the full schedule of events. Rock’n Ribs, April 18–19, Bass Pro Shops, 1935 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield, rocknribs.com, $7 at the gate. Proceeds go to Boys & Girls Town of Missouri, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Ozark Trails Council—Boy Scouts of America, Ronald McDonald House Charities Care Mobile and Good Samaritan Boys Ranch.

Step 2 Starting Saturday at 12:30 p.m.: Rock Out at the GO Music Awards

All afternoon on Saturday, GO Magazine will be hosting concerts that’ll tempt you to shimmy and shake. Stick around for all of them, because they’re part of the second annual GO Music Awards. These bands are the best of the best in 417-land, nominated and voted on by readers and competing for high honors. The bands you’ll see at Rock’n Ribs are the top five finalists for Best Band, and the winner will be selected by a team of judges that afternoon. GO Music Awards, April 19 starting at 12:30 p.m., Bass Pro Shops, 1935 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. Sponsored by GO Magazine. Visit springfieldgo.com for more info.

Step 3 at 6:30 p.m. Saturday: Take a Seat at the 417 Winners Dinner

If a sit-down dinner sounds good after a day on your feet at Rock’n Ribs, the 417 Winners Dinner in a private tent at Bass Pro Shops might be just your style. How nice can a meal inside a tent be? Pretty darn nice! There’s plenty of wine from Gnarly Head Wines and beer from Wil Fischer, plus a meal of barbecue from last year’s winners supplemented by sides and dessert from Hemingway’s Blue Water Grill. Keep an eye out for a visiting brewmaster courtesy of Wil Fischer. 417 Winners Dinner, April 19, 6:30 p.m., private tent at Bass Pro Shops, 1935 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield, rocknribs.com, $50. Tickets are available online at 417mag.com or by calling 417-883-7417. Sponsored by 417 Magazine.