Slash to Shred on Stage at 2013 Ribfest

Former Guns N' Roses lead guitarist set to perform during the annual summer festival.

The top hat. The shades. The hair. The riffs.  It will all be there on stage as former Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Slash performs live Friday, July 5 during the Naperville Exhcange Club's annual Ribfest this summer.   Earlier: Lynyrd Skynyrd to Play Naperville Ribfest 2013 Slash's most recent album, Apocalyptic Love, is the second studio release by the musician who has established a solo career since playing with Guns N' Roses.  “It’s been an interesting road from the mid 90s up until now,” Slash said in a release. “I never stopped to think, ‘What am I gonna to do in the long term?’ Or ruminated on my solo career, where it was heading. I’ve just been jamming around, going wherever the muse has taken me. And this is the first time where I …

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Ribfest 2012 Winners Announced

Exchange Club of Naperville announces top three for ribs and sauces.

Is it the sauce? Or is it the ribs themselves that make the whole rib eating experience so good? The rib tasting judges for Ribfest 2012 had the tough job of choosing the best ribs and sauce. Safe to say that no vegetarians were involved in the judging this year. And, unless that sauce was too fiery, the job was probably not too hard to take. The results are in and the winners have been announced for the Exchange Club of Naperville's Ribfest 2012 Best Ribs and Best Sauce. This year's best ribs award goes to Armadillo’s, and the best sauce goes to Johnson’s, which in 2011 was named best ribs and sauce. If you haven't been to Ribfest yet, you still have until Tuesday. Now you know which ribs rank highest. Best Ribs 1. Armadillo's 2. …

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Ribfest 2012: New Rib Vendors, Online Ticket Sales and July 3 Fireworks

Tickets for Ribfest are now being sold online and Ribfest, unlike previous years, will hold its fireworks display on July 3.

Tickets for Ribfest are selling well and the hottest tickets so far are for the nights when Steve Miller and ZZ Top perform. The festival is in its 25th year and the Exchange Club of Naperville has big hopes that it will raise a significant amount of money from the five-day music and food festival. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could give away a million dollars,” said Julie Lichter, Ribfest PR and marketing chair. Money raised at Ribfest is donated to organizations that work to end domestic violence and child abuse. A few things at Ribfest are new and different this year, from new rib vendors to online ticket sales. Unlike previous years, Ribfest tickets will not be sold at Jewel. Anyone planning to attend the festival will need to buy …

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TV's Ty Pennington Set to Grill and Greet at Ribfest

Ty Pennington will be among several grilling experts holding demonstrations on June 30 at Ribfest.

Ribfest is about the food. In addition to the musical acts that will be performing during the annual celebration of pork, TV personality and Sears spokesperson Ty Pennington will be making an appearance. Ribfest attendees will get the chance to take a photo with Pennington and have the chance to grill with him. Along with Pennington, will be other grilling experts who will be on hand in the Sears “Grilling is Happiness” tent on June 30. The grilling experts will be holding cooking demonstrations from noon to 6 p.m.  “Personally, I love being outdoors,” Pennington said in a news release from Sears. “Summer is a perfect time for gathering friends and family for a backyard barbecue. I can't wait to get cookin' on my Kenmore grill at Ribfest! …

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Exchange Club Announces Addition of Jam Band moe. to Ribfest Lineup

The band moe. will perform on July 3. The band joins the Ribfest lineup, which includes the Steve Miller Band and ZZ Top.

From the Exchange Club of Naperville The Exchange Club of Naperville and the 2012 Ribfest Committee are pleased to announce the appearance of moe. who will appear on the Navistar stage on July 3.  The 25th Ribfest will be held June 29-July 3 in Knoch Park, Naperville.  Ribfest consists of family activities throughout the event, 16 rib vendors from across the country and music.  Over the past 25 years, $12M has been donated from Ribfest proceeds to over 50 local agencies who are working for the elimination of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence.   moe. is the preeminent progressive rock band on the music scene today. With 20 years of touring and just as many albums under its belt, the quintet of Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey on guitars and …

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Steve Miller Band to Headline Ribfest Opening Night

For the first time date specific tickets will be sold for the event. Tickets will go on sale in March.

The Exchange Club of Naperville and the 2012 Ribfest Committee are pleased to announce that on Friday, June 29 the Steve Miller Band will be performing some of their greatest hits at Ribfest.  The 25th Ribfest will be held June 29- July 3 in Knoch Park.  Ribfest consists of family activities throughout the event, 16 rib vendors from across the country and music.  Over the past 25 years,  $12M has been donate  from Ribfest proceeds to over 50 local agencies who are working for the elimination of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence.    “We are excited to have the Steve Miller Band to kick off the 25th Annual Ribfest,” stated 2012 Ribfest chair, Mark Wright.  “This selection will set the stage for a very fun and entertaining weekend.” As one of…

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Montgomery Resident Lands Firefighter of the Year Award

The Exchange Club of Naperville has named Montgomery's Amy Scheller the 2011-2012 Firefighter of the Year for her work with the Naperville Fire Department.

As a child growing up in Arizona, it was Amy Scheller’s brother who set his sights on being a firefighter. “He would hang out at Station 25—for him that was exciting,” Scheller of Montgomery said. “As a small kid I thought it was kind of cool, but nothing I latched onto,” In college at at Aurora University, Scheller still wasn’t completely sure what her career path should be. “I went into health services and dabbled with the idea of working in an ER,” she said. After one of her college counselors suggested she take out an application at one of the local fire departments to see if it interested her, Scheller volunteered at the Montgomery Fire Department and found her calling. “They gave me a lot of great opportunities to learn the …

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Wonderful Wednesday

Annmarie Siwik: A Community Leader Helping to Protect Children

Welcome to Wonderful Wednesday where Naperville Patch puts the spotlight on people in the community doing great things.

Welcome to our new weekly feature Wonderful Wednesday. Every Wednesday Naperville Patch will introduce you to someone doing great things in the community. Do you know someone who deserves the spotlight? Contact Local Editor Mary Ann Lopez at maryl@patch.com.  The Education Center of Developmental Resources is honoring several local residents in November for their work on behalf of children and families. This year's winner of the Community Leader Award is Annmarie Siwik The following information was provided by The Education Center. The lives of many children have been improved through the tireless work of Annmarie Siwik, the winner of the Community Leader Award. As a longtime member of the Exchange Club of Naperville, Siwik has been the …

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