Bradenton's Gulf Coast Rhythm & Ribs Music Fest draws big crowds

BRADENTON -- The ninth annual Gulf Coast Rhythm & Ribs Music Fest was in the shadow of McKechnie Field rather than Palmetto this year. It was in fall, rather than spring. And it may have required a five bucks to park on someone's lawn.

But when it was all said and done, the event still was all about the barbecued ribs, said former Manatee County Commissioner Ron Getman, who attended along with about 5,000 others on Sunday's final day. Organizers estimated 30,000 for the three-day attendance total for the free-admission event.

Although some people said they would have preferred to be inside the nearby baseball park itself rather than carry their concert chairs to the parking lot just north of the field, most said they were happy that the festival has endured.

"We did pretty well, the crowds were good," said Tiki Curry of Bradenton's T & L BBQ and Soulfood Catering.

Rib vendors from around the South trucked their slabs to downtown Bradenton for the fest, which concluded from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

The out-of-town vendors, who orchestrated their sizzling sounds to the backdrop of several live bands, included Carolina Rib King, BBQ Masters, Big Boned BBQ, Johnson's Hickory Smoked Barbecue and Alabama's Finest.

J&J Bar B Que, T & L BBQ and Soulfood Catering and Sonny's BBQ of Southwest Florida were among the local rib purveyors.

The trophy for Best Ribs this year went to a proud Kristin White of Bradenton. White is pit master at Sonny's BBQ, 5715 14th St. W., Bradenton.

She held up a half slab of the winning ribs for people to see.

"What makes them beautiful is the nice glaze that we have on the top," White said. "We coat them with our competition dry rub seasoning, which has nice brown sugar and cinnamon flavors. Then we put them on the grill and topped them with our authentic sweet BBQ sauce. They are fall-off-the-bone delicious."

"We do use a little bit different dry rub seasoning at our restaurants," White added. "If they want them at our restaurants, people should ask for St. Louis ribs, sweet and smoky style."

Sonny's BBQ also has a location at 631 67th St. Circle E., Bradenton.

Words and phrases overheard at the event included "sweet," "succulent," "juicy," "tender,' "tangy" and "smoky."

"They have to be tender, which Sonny's were," said rib fan John Pecharich.

"We had ribs from two different places, Carolina Rib King and Johnson's Hickory Smoked Barbecue, and they were either good or exceptionally good," said Getman, who brought granddaughters Abbey, 14, Savannah, 9, and Sophie. 11, to the event.

"Abbey had a barbecue sandwich, which was excellent," Getman said. "Savannah had barbecue chicken, which was good as well. Overall, the food was awesome. It was a nice event, and the price was right."

The event was a fundraiser for United Community Center, which offers summer programs for youths, tutoring drug prevention counseling and physical education.

Jimmy and Sandy Galanis of Bradenton came for the ribs even though they serve ribs, pulled pork and smoked mullet at the business they own, O'Shucks Raw Bar & Grill, 12012 Cortez Road in the village of Cortez.

"We're on a smaller scale compared to this," Jimmy Galanis said.

Caught in the festival vibe, the couple were hugging like newlyweds.

"Music, a beer and ribs," Jimmy Galanis said with a smile.

"Awesome," Sandy Galanis added.

Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7072 or contact him via Twitter@RichardDymond.

This story was originally published October 11, 2015 at 8:44 PM with the headline "Bradenton's Gulf Coast Rhythm & Ribs Music Fest draws big crowds ."