FIREHOUSE RIB COOK-OFF RETURNS SATURDAY
Serving starts at 5 p.m.; drive-up service again available on Wipf St.; 32 departments will be involved in the competition; live music at 8 p.m.
A major fundraiser for the Freeman Volunteer Fire Department that feels as much like a neighborhood block party as any other event in town will return to the Freeman Swimming Pool Park this weekend.
The FVFD Firehouse Rib Cook-Off is set to return for the 11th time Saturday afternoon and evening, Aug. 10, with serving of ribs and brisket beginning at 5 p.m. But, for those who want to make more of a day of it, activities will begin earlier; food and drinks will be available as the afternoon gets underway, with a bean bag tournament scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. The tournament is being hosted by Phoenix Football and will be open to the first 32 teams to register that morning.
A kids’ water fight, open to children 16 and under, will take place at 2 p.m.
The city of Freeman will offer free swimming in conjunction with the cook-off.
And — new this year — the firefighters plan to host bingo during the downtime between the bean bag tournament/kids water fight and the serving of the food.
“Everybody loves bingo,” said event founder and local firefighter Chad Soulek. “So, we’re gonna give it a guess and by golly run, you know?”
Also, more than $2,000 in prizes will be awarded through a raffle; tickets will be available at the cook-off. A list of those sponsoring prizes can be found in the advertisement on page 6A.
Finally, live music will return to the park for the third year in a row when the BS Band plugs in around 8 p.m.
The FVFD Firehouse Rib Cook-Off debuted in 2014 after local firefighter Chad Soulek attended and competed in a similar competition/exhibition in Corsica and brought the idea back to his home community. It was a hit out of the gate, with 12 area fire departments taking place and hundreds filling the city park that inaugural year.
The event has been held every year since and has grown over time, with an expanded footprint and a record 28 departments competing last year.
This year, Soulek is expecting to set another record with 32 departments represented in the competition, with 700 racks of ribs and 60 brisket available to the guests who arrive, either on park grounds itself or via the drive-up on Wipf Street that runs on the east side of the grounds. The fire department — which in 2024 includes a roster of 30 — began offering drive-up service in 2020 and has continued it in the years since.
It’s all part of a festival that continues to feed on itself.
“We had big crowds from the beginning, but more and more people are talking about it and coming,” said Soulek. “I know guys from all over the place and there are going to be a lot of people there.
“It’s getting to be a lot of people’s favorite event,” he continued. “I have a lot of fun with this and we’re excited for Saturday.”
