Best in The West Nugget Rib Cook-off

Each year, the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off transforms the Labor Day holiday in downtown Sparks into a must-attend culinary, music, craft, and family end-of-summer affair. The 2009 event will be held on Sept. 2-7.

Free live entertainment on multiple stages, kid-specific activities, a world-championship rib-eating contest and multiple city blocks of craft vendors combine with the rib cookers to create a unique event for the whole family. Each year, dozens of chefs from across the USA come to Sparks to vie for a huge cash purse and the title of “Best of the West.”

More than 100 tons of ribs are served during the long weekend event that has drawn more than 500,000 visitors during the long holiday weekend.

Previous year’s events highlights include:

• The International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE), the governing body of all stomach-centric sports, will host the Best in the West Nugget World Rib Eating Championships. A cash prize of $5,000 and the title of World Champion was given away in 2008. The IFOCE conducts more than 90 events annually, including the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y.

• Main-stage entertainment has included Sol Jibe, Night Ranger, Don Felder of the Eagles, Joe Bonamassa Darryl Worley, Greg Kihn and Loverboy. In addition, many side stages offer a variety of music daily.

• Southern Living Magazine has brought its “BBQ on Tour” cooking demonstration caravan, featuring famed competitive BBQ cook Troy Black.

For reservations, event history and information call (800) 648-1177 or (775)
356-3300, or visit www.nuggetribcookoff.com.