Ribfest organizers seek changes to alcohol licence restrictions for 2025 event

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Rotary Ribfest is coming back to Fort St. John in 2025 but this year, attendees can expect to see restrictions around alcohol loosen during the three-day festival.

That’s according to event co-chairs Carina Wallis and Nelson Stowe, who appeared as a delegation before the City of Fort St. John council during the March 24th regular council meeting to give an update of last year’s event and seek support for the changes planned for this year. 

Ribfest, an annual event that has been taking place in some capacity in Fort St. John since 2021, is organized by the Rotary Club of Fort St. John and the Rotary Club of Fort St. John Sunrise.

The three-day event features live music and entertainment, local businesses and food at Centennial Park starting this year on July 11th. 

The first edition of the festival was a drive-through event due to restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, but in 2022, 2023 and 2024, the event has developed into “a great community weekend event providing food, music and fun” which is free to attend according to Wallis. 

The event also acts as a fundraiser, according to Wallis and Stowe, with local not-for-profit and volunteer organizations participating in the event by providing staffing for a set rate an hour as well as monetary donations.

“We go out to the community, everyone wants to be involved in this, and I think it’s really turning into a really great community event,” Willis said. 

In 2024, volunteers from multiple organizations committed more than 800 hours before, during and after the event. These groups included North Peace Search and Rescue, the Fort St. John Literacy Society, Rotary Youth Exchange, the North Peace Seniors Housing Society, the Fort St. John Curling Club and many more. 

Organizations and local businesses can also set up booths for fundraising activities and product sales catered towards attendees, enhancing the overall experience of Ribfest.

In 2023, the event raised more than $42,000, and in 2024 that number increased to more than $50,000.  

Wallis and Stowe told council the planning committee had applied for a special event licence which would allow them to fence off the entire event. 

The licence is provided through the provincial liquor board, BC Liquor, which has told the committee all that is needed to approve the licence is “a blessing from the city.” 

“A lot of these events [with alcohol] are totally family friendly and open to everyone, but you have to fence in the entire event, that’s all, you have to have entry and exit points,” Wallis said. 

The event would still be free for all to attend with security ensuring basic bag searches and wristbands for all of legal drinking age. 

“If someone wants to get alcohol, they have to show ID and have a bracelet on, but basically you can go get a beer and sit down with your family at a table and enjoy your food with them,” Wallis said. 

“If you’re in a line-up waiting to get your ribs or something like that, you can have a beer…or a drink in your hand.”

In previous years, the event had also included a beer garden area, fenced off and away from the rest of the festival where individuals of age can sit and consume alcohol. 

“The restricted beer gardens have encountered zero incidents over the past three years,” Wallis stated.

“The attendees are responsible adults that would prefer to gather with family to enjoy food and entertainment while still enjoying an alcoholic beverage.” 

Organizers believe the new setup, enhanced security and wristbands will discourage attendees from attempting to smuggle in alcohol. 

“We have had instances of booze being brought on to the public grounds under tables [when] we’re cleaning up and such and they’re not in the beer garden, so this will probably give us better security, layout and control of the whole environment,” Wallis said. 

Following the presentation, staff confirmed the licence application was undergoing internal review, and the council would receive a report on it in April, where council will be able to confirm or deny support for the event and special event licence. 

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