Port Moody Ribfest is a 3-day community festival that features live music, family-friendly activities and barbecued ribs in Rocky Point Park in Port Moody.

In 2023 the event takes place on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of July 21st to 23rd.

For the event’s official website, visit portmoodyribfest.ca.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Port Moody Ribfest is an amazing event, and one that benefits local charities. It takes a lot of work to put on though, and the organization behind it relies on the generosity of volunteers to make it happen.

If you’d like to volunteer to help with this fabulous and most worthwhile, family-friendly event, visit the portmoodyribfest.ca website and/or send an e-mail to volunteers@PortMoodyRibfest.ca. The Rotary Club of Port Moody would love your help!

To thank them for their help, volunteers are fed throughout the day and receive an awesome volunteer Ribfest shirt and other perks!

Ribfest Festival in Port Moody

Hosted by the Rotary Club of Port Moody, Ribfest is a free event that takes place in July each year.

After a couple of years of not happening due to COVID-19, the festival took place on the weekend of July 15th to 17th in 2022. It takes place a week later in 2023.

In most years as many as 40,000 people attend the festival over the course of the weekend. That number is greater than the entire population of Port Moody! Ribfest is a fundraising event benefiting charitable projects. As much as $100,000 is raised each year.

Take your friends, family and appetites and check it out!

Click portmoodyribfest.ca for the event’s official website.

Where is Port Moody Ribfest?

Port Moody Rotary Ribfest takes place at Rocky Point Park which is located at 2800 Murray Street in Port Moody, a beautiful town of 33,000 people just east of both Vancouver and Burnaby. For such a small community, Port Moody Ribfest is an impressive event and at a wonderful venue.

Rocky Point Park is a beautiful park on the waterfront with a pier, community stage, walking trails, outdoor swimming pool, and first-class children’s playground and waterpark.

When is Port Moody Ribfest?

Port Moody Rotary Ribfest usually takes place on the second-to-last weekend in July. In 2022 the dates were July 15th to 17th.

In 2023 it happens on July 21st to 23rd. Admission is FREE and activities run from 11:00 am until about 9:00 pm on all three days.

Click portmoodyribfest.ca for the event’s official website.

Ribfest Activities

At Port Moody Rotary Ribfest there is live music and lots of barbecued food for sale. There are also usually craft breweries on site, a Family Zone and various forms of family entertainment.

Ribfest Concerts

Port Moody Ribfest features free live music on all three days of the festival. Below is the live music schedule for 2023. (Note: times and performer details are subject to change.)

Friday, July 21, 2023

• 12:00 pm – Venus & Mars duo (playing guitar and piano)
• 2:00 pm – Los Meatballs (playing classic Rock)
• 4:00 pm – Mojos Stars (a Blues and R&B band)
• 5:45 pm – Space Cowboy (playing tunes by the Steve Miller Band)
• 7:30 pm – Barracuda (a Heart tribute band)

Saturday, July 22, 2023

• 11:00 am – Nun the Wizer (classic Rock and Pop)
• 12:30 pm – Venus & Mars (covering songs from various genres)
• 2:15 pm – Steve Sainas Trio (classic Rock and Blues music)
• 4:00 pm – Pop Junkies (playing Funk, Country and more)
• 5:45 pm – Perfectly Petty (a Tom Petty tribute band)
• 7:30 pm – West Coast Chicago (music from Chicago)

Sunday, July 23, 2023

• 11:00 am – Harris & DeBray (playing Blues and Roots)
• 12:30 pm – Hickelstock (covers of popular music)
• 3:00 pm – Jason Lane Band (Bob Marley covers and more)
• 4:45 pm – Mostly Marley (Bob Marley covers and more)
• 6:30 pm – Bad Moon Riders (playing music by Creedence Clearwater Revival)

Click portmoodyribfest.ca for the event’s official website.

BBQs, Food and Beverages

Being a “Ribfest,” a major part of the Port Moody event is the food. A variety of BBQ vendors serve beef ribs, barbecued chicken, corn on the cob and other tasty items.

World-famous barbecue vendors at Port Moody Ribfest typically include the following:

• Gator BBQ – from Port Dover Ontario
• Boss Hog’s – from London Ontario
• Smoke & Bones – from North Vancouver (and winner of the 2009 and 2012 Canadian National BBQ Championships)
• Prairie Smoke & Spice – from Winnipeg (and 14-time Grand Champion winner)

The biggest challenge at Port Moody Ribfest is which vendor to get your ribs from! The second biggest challenge is deciding which craft beer to wash it down with (or root beer for the kids)!

Family Zone

Port Moody Ribfest is definitely a family-friendly event. There is something for everyone, including for children at the Family Zone.

In the Family Zone you will likely find things like miniature golf, a climbing wall, puppet show and more. Plus, if that’s not enough, right in Rocky Point Park is one of the Lower Mainland’s best outdoor children’s playgrounds and water parks, as well as an outdoor swimming pool.

Kids – don’t forget your swimsuits! Also, don’t forget to point out to your parents the Rocky Point Ice Cream Store that’s located right close by!

Tips and Advice

Below are some tips and advice on how to make your visit to Port Moody Ribfest as pleasant as possible.

Suggestions for Getting There

TIP #1: Take public transit if you can as parking on the day can be insane. If you can’t, another option is to put your bikes on the back of your car and then cycle part way to the venue (including from far away along the beautiful, forested paths). A bicycle valet service is available on site. An alternative option is to wear good shoes and just plan to walk a fair ways.

TIP #2: If you must take a vehicle, go early to improve your chances of finding a spot. There is a bit of parking available for early birds at Rocky Point Park, at the Port Moody Soccer Field on Murray Street just east of the park, and at Port Moody’s West Coast Express Train Station.

TIP #3: You might also find parking at the Community Recreation Complex at 300 Ioco Road in town (although you might not technically be allowed to park there). Otherwise, try your luck wherever you can find it, but be sure wherever you park is a permitted place and not limited to too short of a time.

TIP #4: Another transportation option is to take a taxi, either from your home or from a place you can get to close by (like the train station). It might be challenging finding a ride back however, depending on when you leave.

TIP #5: Some years Port Moody Ribfest offers a safe ride home service between 6:30 and 9:30 pm. Ask your server at one of the craft breweries or an onsite security person for details.

Other Tips

TIP #6: Rocky Point Park is a beautiful park to visit any time of the year. While you’re already there for Ribfest, take some time to explore. Also, return another day when it’s a little less crowded.

TIP #7: On hot days kids will love the playground, water park and outdoor swimming pool. The walking and cycling trails are beautiful and go on for miles. The pier is also very pleasant for a short stroll out into the water.

TIP #8: And finally, if you like outdoor live music, go back any Sunday in July or August for Summer Sundays when they have a free outdoor concert in the park at 2:00 pm.

Important Notes

• ACCESSIBILITY: Port Moody Ribfest is fairly stroller and wheelchair accessible. Just be patient getting around, however, as there will be thousands of people. There are a lot of lawns (which aren’t easy to get around on after a heavy rainfall), but there are also lots of paved pathways throughout Rocky Point Park.
• PET POLICY: Only on-duty service dogs are welcome at Port Moody Ribfest. Other pets are not allowed. That’s okay though as Fido will probably appreciate being left at home anyway as he’ll likely hate the crowds and go insane with all the tantalizing BBQ smells!

About Rotary

Rotary International is a volunteer service organization with members around the world. The Rotary Club of Port Moody is one of many Rotary clubs comprised of professionals, business people and folk who want to make a difference in their community.

The Rotary Club of Port Moody meets for breakfast on Wednesday mornings at 7:15 am at St. James’s Well Pub in Newport Village at 248 Newport Drive in Port Moody.

Another fundraising event put on by the same organization is Search for the Perfect Pint which is a beer-tasting event at Port Moody’s City Hall. It too is a fundraising event.

For more information on the fundraising group behind Port Moody Ribfest, see the Rotary Club of Port Moody website. It’s an exceptional organization to be a part of.

Other Information

For more information on the July event at Rocky Point Park, see the Port Moody Rotary Ribfest website.

To learn more about the venue and surrounding area, click Rocky Point Park or Port Moody.

For ideas on other things to do this same weekend or at other times this month, see Vancouver’s July Calendar.

For a list of other major events throughout the year in the Lower Mainland, click the Festivals & Events Calendar.

Events hosted by other Lower Mainland Rotary Clubs include the following:

• Search for the Perfect Pint – a beer-themed event in Port Moody.
• Rotary Ride for Rescue – a bike race up Cypress Mountain that raises money for North Shore Rescue.
• North Vancouver Canada Day Celebrations – an event on July 1st on the North Shore.
• Langley Ribfest – a barbecue-themed community in the summer.
• Port Moody Ribfest – another barbecue-themed event in the summer.
• Rotary Ride for Hearing – a cycling ride that benefits people who are deaf and hard of hearing in BC.
• White Rock Polar Bear Swim – a January 1st icy swim in the ocean on New Year’s Day.