Organizers Behind RibFest Moving On From Annual Festival

Sioux Falls

A longtime food and music festival won't be returning this summer in Sioux Falls.

The organizers behind RibFest announced Wednesday that they will no longer produce the annual event after 20 years. First launched in 1998 near the Sioux Falls Arena, RibFest moved to the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds in 2014.

According to the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, the most recent RibFest saw its largest attendance ever at 47,000 people. Local groups such as Kory and the Fireflies along with classic rock and country bands provided live entertainment throughout the years.

SMG Sioux Falls General Manager Terry Torkildson said in a news release that the entertainment landscape of Sioux Falls has continued to expand over recent years with the opening of the PREMIER Center and The District.