Close Menu
Eden Prairie Local News
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Thursday, June 5
    • About
      • About EPLN
      • Team
      • EPLN in the News
      • Policies
    • Contact
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Threads LinkedIn
    Subscribe
    Eden Prairie Local News
    • Home
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Public Safety
    • City
    • Calendar
    • Subscribe
    • Donate
    • More
      • Construction
      • Outdoors
      • Politics
      • Health
      • Spirituality
      • Community Service
      • Legacy
      • Obituaries
      • Arts
      • Family
      • Holidays
      • Letter to Editor
      • Listen
      • Jobs
    Eden Prairie Local News
    Home»Community Service»Fire up the fun at Eden Prairie Rib Fest June 8
    Community Service

    Fire up the fun at Eden Prairie Rib Fest June 8

    Smoky ribs, big-band jazz and disc golf heat up Staring Lake Park in this summer-starting community celebration.
    Robin SilvermanBy Robin SilvermanJune 3, 2025Updated:June 3, 20256 Mins Read
    Brad Freeman displays ribs at the 2024 Eden Prairie Noon Rotary Club Rib Fest at Staring Lake Park, held in conjunction with the Minnesota Festival of Jazz on the Prairie. File photo by Jeremy Peyer

    If life has seemed a little too serious and you’re ready for some outdoor fun, head to Staring Lake Park on Sunday, June 8, for Rib Fest, the Eden Prairie Noon Rotary Club’s annual fundraiser.

    Rib Fest runs from noon to 7 p.m. and coincides with the Minnesota Festival of Jazz on the Prairie, presented by the City of Eden Prairie, and the “Seventh Swine of a Seventh Swine” Doubles Disc Golf Tournament.

    “The first Rib Fest, which was either in 2006 or 2007, was a disaster,” said John Urbanski, one of the organizers of the event. “We were hoping to have a commercial smoker, but we ended up using home-type gas barbecue grills.”

    At the first event, only 150 meals were served. Last year’s event served almost 1,000.

    Advertisement
    Ad for Washburn McReavy

    “Now that we use a commercial smoker, we can cook up to 900 pounds of ribs for the event,” Urbanski said. “We also serve shredded chicken with barbecue sauce for those who don’t want ribs, and we offer hot dogs for the kids.”

    Ribs for the event come from Costco.

    The club has one team of people staffing the smoker. A second team finishes and cuts the ribs into serving sizes.

    Martin Rathjen, another organizer of the event, said the rib sauce “is an ancient Rotary secret recipe.”

    According to Rathjen, Rich Weaver is the event’s current rib master. He has a friend, Clark Erickson, a retired “ribber.”

    “Clark’s family has been in the grilling contest circuit for years,” Rathjen said.

    He noted that the rub goes on the meat the day before the event, and the sauce is applied just before it’s served.

    A three-rib dinner or a barbecued chicken dinner is $18 and includes coleslaw and potato chips. A hot dog and chips is $6. Beer, wine, root beer, seltzer and water are available for an additional fee.

    Seven area jazz bands will perform throughout the afternoon and evening at the Staring Lake Amphitheatre as part of the city’s Minnesota Festival of Jazz on the Prairie. Audience members are encouraged to bring blankets and folding chairs to supplement amphitheater seating.

    Linnea Nelson-Marrin, singer for the Bend in the River Big Band, points to the crowd during their performance at the Minnesota Festival of Jazz on the Prairie at Staring Lake Park on Sunday. The Bend in the River Big Band was one of seven bands to entertain the crowd.
    Linnea Nelson-Marrin, vocalist for the Bend in the River Big Band, gestures to the crowd during the group’s 2024 performance at the Minnesota Festival of Jazz on the Prairie at Staring Lake Amphitheatre. The band is scheduled to return for this year’s event. File photo by Jeremy Peyer

    The following bands are scheduled to perform on June 8:

    Noon – Bend in the River Big Band

    1 p.m. – Genesis Jazz Orchestra

    2 p.m. – Just Friends Big Band

    3 p.m. – Acme Orchestra

    4 p.m. – River City Jazz Orchestra

    5 p.m. – Good News Jazz Band

    6 p.m. – Jazz on the Prairie Big Band

    A third major draw for Rib Fest is the “Seventh Swine of a Seventh Swine” Disc Golf Doubles Tournament. One hundred twenty entrants are registered to compete on a 20-hole course.

    Boom Island Brewing supplies the beer for Rib Fest, which the Rotary Club is allowed to buy at cost to help boost event proceeds. Boom Island has representatives on hand throughout the event to ensure supplies don’t run out. They also help serve the beer and answer questions attendees may have.

    In addition to Boom Island Brewing, Culver’s of Minnetonka donates the ice cream for the event. It’s sold for $4 per cup, with all profits going to the Rotary Club’s service projects. Like the Boom Island crew, Culver’s staff helps keep supplies stocked during the event.

    Another sponsor is Culligan Water of Minnetonka, which donates the bottled water sold at the event. Other sponsors include Rick Johnson Insurance and Old National Bank Eden Prairie.

    Last year, the club raised about $25,000 at the event.

    “We hope to raise $30,000 this year for our local, regional and international service projects,” Urbanski said.

    “We want to raise up the importance of where this money is going,” Rathjen said. “It’s being used to make a difference in our community and investing in others’ lives.”

    One of the club’s service projects is “My Book Day.” Now in its 21st year, the project has resulted in donations of more than 15,000 books to first graders in the Eden Prairie School District.

    “Each child gets a book to keep,” Urbanski said.

    The club generates a list of books approved by educators. The books are presented in the classroom, and each student picks the one they would personally like. The club orders the books based on the individual requests. Each book includes a bookplate with the student’s name and a bookmark placed in the front.

    The presentation of the books is also an event. All first graders in the school district – 650 this year – gathered at Eden Prairie High School on May 16. The high school choir performed, and the Robotics Club gave demonstrations.

    Students from the Drama Club performed a play written by John Jorgenson, founder of “My Book Day.” The story features Good Queen Sue, a character inspired by Jorgenson’s late wife who loved books and children.

    As the students left the auditorium, the high school orchestra played. Each teacher also received a book.

    “For the last few years, we’ve had a high school student talk about his Book Day when he was a first grader. The message is always, ‘Keep reading,’” Rathjen said.

    A line of people waits to order ribs during last year’s Eden Prairie Rotary Club’s Rib Fest fundraiser. File photo by Jeremy Peyer

    Rib Fest will be held rain or shine. Parking is available in the Staring Lake lots as well as at the Flying Cloud ball fields across the street. Shuttles will run between the venue and the Flying Cloud lot. The city asks attendees not to park on the grass at the park.

    “We appreciate our partnership with the City of Eden Prairie,” Rathjen said. “Medori Marble, the recreation specialist, helps us with all the arrangements.”

    For those interested in learning more about the club, the Eden Prairie Noon Rotary Club meets the first three Thursdays of each month at Tavern 4 & 5 in Eden Prairie.

    “You’re welcome to sit in on three lunches for free,” Urbanski said. “We are a relatively small club – 34 or 35 members. Everyone’s always welcome to join us for a meeting.

    Both men and women can be members. Membership dues are $75 per quarter, plus the cost of meals. Meetings last one hour and typically feature a guest speaker.

    For more information, visit the club’s website at epnoonrotary.org.

    Comments
    We offer several ways for our readers to provide feedback. Your comments are welcome on our social media posts (Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn). We also encourage Letters to the Editor; submission guidelines can be found on our Contact Us page. If you believe this story has an error or you would like to get in touch with the author, please connect with us.

    Be Informed
    Sign up for the FREE email newsletter from EPLN
    Subscribe
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleEagles top Rosemount 12-6 to reach Section 6A final
    Next Article Western grebes wow with water ballet

    More to READ

    2 Mins Read

    Watershed district to host Creek Week events

    June 4, 2025
    4 Mins Read

    Schooner Days rolls in with rides, crowds and record fun

    June 3, 2025
    2 Mins Read

    Low vision program offers support, resources at Eden Prairie Senior Center

    June 1, 2025
    Subscribe to get EPLN in your inbox for FREE!
    Recent Articles

    ‘Ballerina’ pirouettes through familiar ‘John Wick’ beats

    June 4, 2025

    Watershed district to host Creek Week events

    June 4, 2025

    Former employee charged in $120K fraud at Eden Prairie nonprofit

    June 4, 2025

    Eden Prairie man pleads guilty in gross misdemeanor sexual conduct case

    June 4, 2025

    Highway 101 lane closures postponed due to rain

    June 3, 2025
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    INN Network Member Guidestar Seal
    Eden Prairie Local News is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization EIN 85-4248265 | Copyright © 2020-2025
    • About
    • Policies
    • Jobs
    • Contact
    • Advertising
    • Subscribe
    • Donate

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.