Ribfest rises from the ashes

Kiki the Eco Elf isn’t just a lot of fun — she thinks on her feet as well.

Kiki was booked for this weekend’s on again-off again Vernon Ribfest, and next weekend for a festival being put on by Swan Lake Market and Garden. She thought why not put them together, and after making that suggestion, the rest, as they say, is history.

The Ribfest had officially been cancelled after a grant from the North Okanagan Regional District didn’t come through and security costs came in double from 2019.

A nearly two-acre parcel at the back of the business has been converted into the new home of Vernon Ribfest, after organizers couldn’t justify the expense of holding it at the Vernon Recreation Complex.