Sycamore ready for Ribs, Rhythm & Brews Fest

SYCAMORE – Enjoy award-­winning ribs, craft beer and live music from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday at Sycamore Ribs, Rhythm & Brews Fest in downtown Sycamore.

Back Country Roads will headline the festival held at the corner of Somonauk and Elm streets, with opening acts including Mr. Myers and DJ Toxic with Behind the Beats.

Guests will raise their glasses and sip beer from across the nation. Featured brews include Shocktop, Kona Big Wave, Goose Island 312, Bud Light and Michelob Ultra. Sycamore’s Forge Brew House will serve their Quiet Man, an Irish red ale, and Featherweight, an American lager.

“We are proud to host a local brewery in our lineup,” Rose Treml, executive director of the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce, said in a news release. “Forge Brew House has added a great dynamic to Sycamore.”

And for non-beer-drinkers, there will be Mike’s Hard Black Cherry.

Delicious ribs and side dishes will be served up by multiple vendors and compete for the title of “Ribs Rhythm and Brews Fest Champion.”

“We are lucky to have so many wonderful chefs in the area,” Treml said in the release. “Their talents will really have the opportunity to shine during this event.”

In 2017, Hicks BBQ took home the trophy. This year they will have some tough competition: Sycamore Tom & Jerry’s, Slow Smoke BBQ, Country Store & Catering and more.

Bringing the rhythm will be Back Country Roads.

“We are very excited to have Back Country Roads this year,” Treml said in the release. “They are a favorite in northern Illinois and continue to build a wide fan base.”

The band has played at events such as Country Thunder and opened for national acts such as Phil Vassar, Darryl Worley, David Lee Murphy, Neal McCoy, Steel Magnolia, Keith Anderson and Easton Corbin. They play mostly current Top 40 country hits, with a few older selections and some originals as well.

For a complete list of Sycamore events, visit discoversycamore.com.