Roads were shut down around Perry Square Wednesday morning as an annual festival kicked off in downtown Erie.
Erie’s 35th annual Wild Rib Cook Off and Musical Festival began on May 27 and will run until May 30.
The event features live music, barbecue food and a rib judging competition.
The competition brings in cooking teams from all over the country, and this year only one Erie business is going for the win.
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The owner of Erie’s Outlaw Barbecue Revolution, Michael Loveranes, said he’s been coming to Rib Fest for years, and his barbecue is competition quality.
“Erie has its own barbecue scene, you see plenty of great places,” Loveranes said.
“I think we can hang with these guys as we’ve shown up over the years. We’ve trophied and won against all the major touring guys,” he added.
Loveranes said they’ll be cooking throughout the week and donating a part of their sales to Feeding America.
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