Ribfest & Afrofest

What an incredible weekend full of delicious food, amazing friends, and diverse culture. Chelsea and I spent the majority of our weekend at Downtown Sudbury’s Ribfest, or what we have been calling it, Sudbury’s big backyard barbecue. Over the course of those three days our team tried a dish from each of the six professional rib teams but we just couldn’t pick a winner! I had been excited to introduce the ‘Keira’s choice award’ but these teams were just too good. In addition to delicious barbecue, Ribfest featured giant inflatables, local vendors, Science North activities, outstanding live music, and treats for every taste bud. Each day gave us the opportunity to try a different snack, my favorites of which were butterbeer from Pappi’s Old Fashioned Soda Pop and the potato skewer from Tornado Potato. It took a lot of convincing from my team to prioritize working over spending all day in the food court.

On Saturday, Chelsea and I had the opportunity to take the 2018 Jeep Compass Sport from Mazzuca Chrysler over to Bell Park’s Grace Hartman Amphitheater for Afrofest! This was the first time that this incredible festival has been held in Sudbury and I cannot wait for it to become a yearly tradition. Africa’s rich culture was showcased through dance, fashion, music, and art and made for an incredible afternoon. The owner of San’z, one of the local vendors featured at the event, took the time to explain the cultural history behind the exclusive South African fabric ‘shcwe-shcwe’ which is used in all of her designs. The true beauty of this fabric cannot be described in words but must be appreciated in person. With smokey smelling hair, full tummies, and so many memories Chelsea and I can’t wait for more great adventures.

– Keira