Rock, Ribs & Ridges moves to Sussex County Fairgrounds

AUGUSTA — Presented by Franklin Sussex Auto Mall, Rock, Ribs & Ridges is an annual, two-day celebration of music from legendary artists and barbecue served up by award-winning local chefs.

The summer concert and grilling season gets underway with a new venue, new dates and the festival’s biggest headliner ever, the weekend of June 28 to 29.

Rock, Ribs & Ridges has played host to a “Who’s Who in Southern Rock” during its first four years and is cranking up the volume with George Thorogood & The Destroyers” this summer as Southern rock and Southern cooking return to North Jersey at the festival’s new home at The Sussex County Fairgrounds.

“We’re very excited to announce new artists and a new venue for our fifth annual Rock, Ribs & Ridges festival,” said Executive Producer Howard Freeman of Promo1. “We’ve grown to a new location and the fairgrounds and its 145 acres of beautiful farmland allows us to open up an exciting new layout with amenities that music and food lovers will really appreciate. We have expansive space for new VIP seating and parking options and we will be able to offer on-site camping and RV options, too, as we present our biggest festival ever.”

Festival-goers will also enjoy great comfort food and Southern cooking as area chefs will be adding local flavor to the offerings, competing for thousands of dollars in prize money and the coveted titles of "Best Ribs," "Best Sauce," and "People's Choice."

Formed in Delaware in the early 1970s, George Thorogood & The Destroyers connected with audiences across the country with their boisterous, slid-guitar-stoked take on classic urban rock and blues tunes by top artists such as Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, and Bo Diddley. Their biggest hit, the immortal rocker "Bad to the Bone," is a perennial favorite and has been featured on everything from the James Cameron movie "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" to a Wrangler jeans commercial.

Known as “The World's Greatest Bar Band," they’ve enjoyed many other hits including "Move It On Over", "Who Do You Love" and "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer."

"I do the tour for all my fans," said Thorogood. "So we will be doing both the fan favorites and 'George's favorites' — and we will all have a great time."

Rock, Ribs & Ridges features two days of headlining entertainment featuring the biggest names in Southern rock as well as top regional performers. The complete lineup will be announced soon. Tickets are on sale at www.rockribsandridges.com.