Sycamore hosts Ribs, Rhythm & Brews Fest

SYCAMORE – A hungry crowd gathered downtown at the corner of Somonauk and Elm streets Saturday night for the fourth annual Sycamore Ribs, Rhythm & Brews Fest.

The fest included the chance to buy and eat ribs and other food items from Hicks BBQ, Slow Smoke BBQ, Country Store & Catering and Sycamore Tom and Jerry’s. All the businesses competed for the 2018 title of “Ribs, Rhythm & Brews Fest champion.”

“The winner was Sycamore Tom and Jerry’s featuring catering by Diann,” said Shelby Huffman, events and marketing assistant at the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce.

Admission was free for the event, which ran from 5 to 11 p.m.

“We love the fest. It’s a fun competition,” said Diann Beaulieu, owner of Sycamore Tom & Jerry’s. “People can enjoy good food, good music and hot ribs.”

“Our first Ribs, Rhythm & Brews Fest was held in 2015,” said Rose Treml, executive director of the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce. “It took place in a much larger space this year. It’s our first year of taking over two parking lots and closing Elm Street. Our hope every year is for people to enjoy some ribs, drink some beer and stay to listen to the music.

"We feature local restaurants, local breweries and local entertainment.
All proceeds benefit Discover Sycamore."

The fest was sponsored by First National Bank, Superior Beverage, Waste Management, Forge Brewhouse, Accurate Towing & Recovery and the Northern Illinois Waterworks.

“Forge Brewhouse has been at the fest since its inception,” said Lisa Heinrich, who owns the business with her husband, J.D. Heinrich. “Rose invited us in 2015, and it was the first local event we attended. We love coming back every year.”

During the fest, Forge Brewhouse served Quiet Man, an Irish red ale, and Featherweight, an American lager. Other brews featured at the fest included Shocktop, Kona Big Wave, Goose Island 312, Bud Light and Michelob Ultra.

Ryan Hopper, owner of Hopper’s Poppers in Sycamore, has been attending the fest for the past four years.

“We previously sold popcorn at the fest,” Hopper said. “This is the first time we sold ice cream. This is a great event, and we had perfect weather for it. The fest was originally a block party. I like how they changed it. I like coming here every year.”

Live music was performed by
Mr. Myers and DJ Toxic with Behind the Beats.

Back Country Roads offered the final performance of the evening. According to the Sycamore Chamber, 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, along with a few older selections and some original songs.

Sycamore couple Chris and Tammy Haeffner have been coming to the fest every year.

This year, Tammy’s sister, Diana Leanna, and her son, Otto, from Crivitz, Wisconsin, also attended.

“It’s our first time here. We had to check it out,” Leanna said.