Rock, Ribs and Ridges two-day festival returns to Hidden Valley

VERNON — The second annual Rock, Ribs and Ridges music and food festival returns to the Hidden Valley Club in Vernon this weekend, June 11 and 12. Presented by Franklin Sussex Auto Mall, the festival features two full days of music where both longtime fans and casual music lovers can enjoy an outdoor concert setting at the base of the ski resort. Headliners include .38 Special, the Outlaws, Blackberry Smoke and Southern rockers the Marshall Tucker Band. Barbecue fans will have the opportunity to enjoy BBQ throughout the weekend, including a juried rib cook-off, which features award-winning offerings from chefs and local rib cooks who will compete for thousands of dollars in prize money and the titles of Best Ribs and Best Sauce. Festival-goers can vote for a People’s Choice award. Additional food and adult beverages will be available throughout the festival grounds. Three Men and a Baby Back from Bergen County, last year’s cook-off Grand Champions, will be back to defend their title. They will donate a portion of their proceeds to help raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project, whose goal is to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid to meet the needs of injured servicemen and women. The other competitive ribbers are Sussex County champion Double S Diner from Wantage; four-time Best Ribs Sussex Fairgrounds winner Texas Smoke BBQ from Rockaway; and Good Smoke BBQ from Rochester, N.Y. Attendees are also asked to join the festival in helping chef Eric Figueroa and the Double S Diner recover from a devastating fire on May 17. General admission lawn seating and a limited number of reserved VIP tickets are available at www.rockribsandridges.com or at the gate. Festival hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.