Rock, Ribs and Ridges Festival starts tonight

The Rock, Ribs and Ridges Festival will feature the music of Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famers, Grammy winners and Southern rock legends.

The festival, in its 14th year, will be held June 28-30 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, 37 Plains Road, Augusta.

Scheduled to perform are Blackberry Smoke, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, Molly Hatchet, the Outlaws and Larkin Poe as well as Sugar Mountain, Matt Coffy Band, Sharp Dressed Band, Hannah Wicklund, Six Gun Sally and Artimus Pyle.

Champion BBQ pitmasters will competing for cash, trophies and the prestigious Optimum People’s Choice Award with ribs, sauces and rubs.

They are Cowboys BBQ of Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago BBQ of Burr Ridge, Ill.; Ribbins BBQ of Chambersburg, Pa., and Off The Bone BBQ of Canal Winchester, Ohio.

In addition to ribs, most of their menus include BBQ chicken, brisket, pulled pork, pork butt, smoked sausage and traditional sides, such as mac and cheese.

The festival benefits local charities, such as the Frankford Township Fire Department, Sparta Community Food Bank and Future Farmers of America.

Since 2015, the Frankford volunteer firefighters have added to their fundraising coffers by selling alcoholic beverages at the festival.

Tito’s Handmade Vodka donates $1 per cocktail to the Sparta Community Food Bank. That totaled $2,500 last year.

This year, members of Future Farmers of America will staff the festival’s general admission parking lot.

Other charities that have benefited from their relationship with the festival include Blue Ridge Rescue Squad; Sparta Education Association; Newton Board of Education; Future Business Leaders of America; Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice; Hamburg Fire Department; Branchville Rotary; H.E.L.P. Foundation and Teen Challenge New Jersey.