Southern Cooking, Rock: Head North

Having lived in Tennessee for three years, I’ve become somewhat of a barbecue snob. But thanks to Wayne resident Howard Freeman, known for organizing the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, I’ll be driving to Vernon instead of 12 hours south to get some tender, melt-in-your-mouth ribs.

The Hidden Valley Club in Vernon will host the first Rock, Ribs, and Ridges music and food festival August 14 and 15.

Photo courtesy of Rock, Ribs, and Ridges.

The event producer’s newest celebration “Rock, Ribs, and Ridges” will offer a two-day, juried barbecue cook-off featuring award-winning ribbers competing for titles such as “Best Ribs” and “Best Sauce.” Representing the Garden State are Eric Figueroa, owner of Double S Diner in Wantage, and Dana Reed, Mark Mangano, and Dan Krystiniak of Three Men and a Babyback catering company in Montvale. Festival-goers will get to sample their creations throughout the weekend.

There will be concerts by Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Famer Dave Mason of Traffic, legendary Southern rockers The Marshall Tucker Band, guitarist, vocalist, and entertainer Rick Derringer, and country rock band New Riders of the Purple Sage.

The festival will be held at the Hidden Valley Club (44 Breakneck Road) on August 14 and 15. General admission tickets, which include lawn seating for concerts, are $30 if purchased in advance, and $35 at the gate. To purchase tickets and for additional information, visit rockribsandridges.com.

Tags: Food | Vernon | festival | food