The Rock, Ribs & Ridges Festival returns

Tickets are now on sale for this summer’s Rock, Ribs & Ridges festival, which has been expanded to three days this year.

The 11th annual festival will be held from June 25 to 27 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta. The musical lineup includes Southern Rock bands and Hall of Fame performers.

The Marshall Tucker Band and the Screamin’ Eagle Band will open the festival on Friday night, June 25.

Blackberry Smoke, which has enjoyed success for two decades with albums such as “Holding All the Roses” and “Like an Arrow,” releases its newest album, “You Hear Georgia,” on May 28. They headline the festival on Saturday, June 26, along with Pat Travers, The Weight Band, Kyle Daniel Band, and The Matt Coffy Band.

The Outlaws are festival favorite. Their classic hits include “There Goes Another Love Song,” “Green Grass and High Tides,” and “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky.” They will head the lineup on Sunday, June 27, along with the Artimus Pyle Band, Molly Hatchet, and Blackfoot.

Cowboys BBQ of Fort Worth, Texas, the 2019 “Best Ribs” and “Best Sauce” champion, will be among the top competitive barbecue rib teams from around the country serving up Southern comfort food. The country’s top pitmasters will be cooking up ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, corn bread, mac and cheese, and more. These chefs will also be competing in a juried rib cook-off for “Best Ribs,” “Best Sauce” and “People’s Choice.”

The festival offers shaded VIP seating, group table seating at the Miller Mezzanine, weekend camping and on-site RV stay options add to the festival’s unique atmosphere. A Friday night “After Party” bonfire, a Saturday evening campers-only concert with Kyle Daniel, and a “Sunday Morning Get Together” with free coffee and donuts make the fan experience even more enjoyable.

The ‘Roaring Twenties’

“After the Pandemic of 1918 came the ‘Roaring Twenties,’ and based on our early ticket sales, we expect a similar reaction this summer with people wanting to be outdoors, enjoying themselves and safely spending time with their friends and families,” said the festival’s executive producer, Howard Freeman of Promo1. “The size and openness of the Fairgrounds allows us to produce a safe environment in which to hold the Festival.”

Freeman said the festival will follow whatever guidelines and protocols Gov. Murphy, the Centers for Disease Control, and local agencies will have in place in June.

The festival is presented by Franklin Sussex Auto Mall. Tickets may be purchased at rockribsandridges.com.