"We invite the community to join us for this celebration of food and music in Downtown Tulsa. We expect the Rock ‘n Rib Festival to bring tens of thousands of visitors to the streets outside our arena for award-winning barbecue and entertainment by thirteen fantastic regional bands."
- John Bolton, General Manager
Bring your appetite and some wet naps! The SMG-managed BOK Center announces a new festival that will fill the streets of Downtown Tulsa with the scent of barbeque sauce and the sound of live music. The Rock ‘n Rib Festival presented by Rib Crib BBQ & Grill will take place on Third Street and Frisco Avenue adjacent to the arena and will feature four days of championship barbeque, mouth-watering concessions, and performances by thirteen regional bands.
The focus of the celebration is ribs. Just steps from the BOK Center’s iconic glass wall, seven award-winning teams from across the country will showcase their championship rib recipes. These entrepreneurs compete around the world and pride themselves on their cooking techniques, unique barbeque sauces, beans, and coleslaw. A major component of the competition is showmanship and vendors decorate their space with everything from thirty-foot high banners and flags, to giant trophies, to enormous inflatable cowboys. Chefs interact with the crowd and often tell jokes, dress in themed attire, and place stickers on new customers with their company logos or slogans (such as "Lick My Ribs" and "I Got Sauced").
After taking care of their appetite, guests can enjoy free live music on the Rock ‘n Rib Festival Outdoor Stage courtesy of ONEOK, Inc. Thirteen regional bands including Admiral Twin, My Solstice, the Fabulous Midlife Crisis Band, and The Red Dirt Rangers will provide daily entertainment. Each evening features a different genre of music- ranging from reggae to classic rock to red dirt/country. On Friday evening at 7:00PM, "Live Bait," a Jimmy Buffett cover band from Tampa, FL will treat the crowd to a beach party atmosphere, complete with beach balls, a limbo stick, and colorful leis. A full list of bands and entertainment schedule is available online.
The Rock ‘n Rib Festival 2009 is presented by Rib Crib. Live entertainment on the outdoor stage is compliments of ONEOK, Inc. Plaza sponsors include Anheuser-Busch, Frontier International Trucks, Crowne Plaza Hotel, US Foodservice, Cargill Meats, and Downtown Tulsa Unlimited. The official media partners are FOX23, Urban Tulsa Weekly, and Cox Radio, Inc.
More information on the Rock ‘n Rib Festival and profiles of all of rib vendors are available at www.bokcenter.com. Questions may be directed to Jeff Nickler, Special Events Manager at (918) 894-4254.
