Palm Coast’s Rock n Ribfest Returns: Racing Pigs, Raging Bands, Roaring Fireworks

Palm Coast wasn’t exactly built on rock ‘n roll, but it’s coming around: the second annual Rock ‘n Ribfest, a daylong festival of music, food, games and pigs capped by a fireworks display is scheduled for April 9 in Town Center, beginning at noon. Mickey Thomas and Starship are headlining after a half dozen local bands, including Old Haw Creek, Sharon Resnikoff, Spandex Superheroes (seriously) and Run Rhino, whose covers of Led Zeplin, Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles might give the Central Park grounds a jolt back to the late 1960s and early 70.

There’ll be barbecue, of course. Lots of barbecue. Pork. Kabobs. Ribs. Chicken. Food contests.

And pigs. Racing, raging pigs. “You get a free pulled pork sandwich if you pick the winner,” David Ayers, general manager at WNZF and Beach FM–the chief sponsors of the event, along with the city of Palm Coast–said. There’ll be pig racing every 90 minutes, in three categories, beginning with tiny piglets, “their cute little pink butts running around the track,” Ayers said. “The third heat are the big fat snarly potbellies that don’t like each other or anybody. It takes them about five minutes to get around the track but it’s hilarious because they complain all the way.”

For those under 12, entry is free. But for the rest, it’s not cheap: $15 for advance tickets (which you can order online by clicking here) and $25 at the door. For a daylong event of music, hanging out and fireworks, the price might not seem to taxing after all. And several charities are involved, Ayers said.

Example: if you have used string instruments–violins, violas, cellos, even the odd double bass–the Flagler Youth Orchestra will be there to take those instrument donations for students who can’t afford them. The orchestra will also be accepting used wind and brass instruments–horns, bugles, clarinets, trumpets, bassoons, flutes, and so on–and convey them to the Flagler County school district’s band program. A special booth will be set alongside the Kids Zone carnival area at the front of of the park from noon to 6 p.m. to accept the instruments.

Pig races begin at 1 p.m. Starship is on at 8.

Watch a sum up of last year’s Ribfest, when Creedence Clearwater Revisited headlined. Produced and narrated by Palm Coast’s Tom Hanson director of Palm Coast’s too-rarely heralded treasure.