WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The 2022 Rib Round Up gets underway Saturday at noon at the iThink Financial Amphitheatre with all the finger-lickin' BBQ and live country music.
Saturday morning vendors started putting meat on their grills, with all the spices rubs, and flavors one could hope for.
Included with admission to the Rib Round Up is access to these food vendors and they are in it to win it.
“Come from all over the place to compete I mean it is intense it is a fierce fierce competition everyone's like hanging their medals and trophies on like the outside of where they sell their ribs It is awesome it is really really fun,” said Chelsea Taylor, morning host at New Country 103.1.
Obviously, the ribs are the star of the Rib Round Up but there are some highfalutin’ country music acts out here too, many of which are nominated for the ACM Awards which is happening in Las Vegas on Monday, March 7.
CMA New Artist of the Year Jimmie Allen is actually hosting the ACMs and has a nomination.
Allen is headlining the Rib Round Up with other ACM nominees including Priscilla Block and Elvie Shane.
Vero Beach’s own Jake Owen is the headliner and will hit the stage at 9:40 p.m.
“I like want to call him our hometown hero, because he's from here. He grew up here but with the fact when we get a chance and an opportunity to go to one of his shows and be at one of his shows, he brings an energy like nothing you've ever seen. If you haven't experienced a show with Jake Owen… then you haven't been to a real country show, he's the best. He's the best,” Taylor said.
The Rib Round Up is like no other event in South Florida because the country music artists put themselves front and center, they get interviewed by New Country 103.1’s radio personalities and then they stick around to hang with the fans.
“Country artists, are family, they are the nicest people. Everybody in this genre is so great. They stick around. They'll talk to you. They'll sign stuff they that, you know, it's always this kid's first concert. You know, I remember one year we had Kane brown. It was one kid's first concert. Do you remember that year, that year,” Taylor said. “And Kayne Brown did he stuck around for like 10 minutes and took pictures with this kid with his sign? I mean it went viral I think on on social media everywhere it is those memories and those experiences that you really truly never forget.”
Organizers hope more of those special moments are created here tonight. Country music fans haven’t got to be together at this event in two years. It’s Palm Beach County’s biggest country music festival.
“I think just being back out at the amphitheater and being able to reconnect with all of our listeners who honestly we've missed the past couple of years. That's honestly what it's all about is bringing us all together with some live music, some awesome food, some great rib vendors and just being able to see everybody in our community again, that's the best part," Taylor said.
We've heard from some fans, who have been out at the amphitheatre for country concerts this past summer, who said they are annoyed by some of the COVID-19 health checks that are going on at the gates. But the radio station says there is a good reason for them because the artists in this lineup have a big event in a few days.
“They're all going to the ACM in Vegas in a couple of days. So you've got Jimmy Allen, who's co-hosting, you have all these people who are performing for the ACM, who are literally flying out from Round Up, and they didn't cancel coming to us, which they really could have done. They could have been like, look, it's ACM. We can't be a part of any shows for two weeks leading up to the ACM, you know if we need to respect to making sure that we're being as safe as we possibly can so that they can still go to Vegas and have their shows. We're going to do it.”
Tickets to the Rib Round Up cost $41 plus tax and fees.
