Mesquite Gaming hosts 2019 CasaBlanca Rib Fest
By Julian Lupo
Back for the third straight year, Mesquite Gaming, owner of the Casablanca Resort and Virgin River Hotel, is excited to host its three-day barbecue festival, the 2019 CasaBlanca Rib Fest. Kicking off Sept. 6, the Casablanca Rib Fest will feature some of the country’s best barbecue vendors cooking up delicious ribs and barbecue through the weekend.
“Our three barbecue competition teams have each been perfecting their recipes for decades and have won countless prestigious awards,” said Christian Adderson, corporate sales manager at Mesquite Gaming. “In addition to the amazing barbecue and vendors that come out each year, festivities will include fun tailgating games, daily eating contests, and a DJ to keep the energy high all weekend long.”
Notable food vendors include Austin’s Texas Lightning, which has more than 30 years of experience serving award-winning barbecue: Chicago BBQ Company, which won first place at 2017’s Best in the West Rib Festival; and Texas Outlaw BBQ, which boasts more than 250 first-place awards in its 25 years. This year, attendees will get to vote for which barbecue they love the most. Participants can vote once per day at casablancaresort.com, and the team with the most votes by the evening of Sept. 8 will win $2,000.
On Sept. 7, two special watermelon eating contests will take place between the Virgin Valley High School and Hughes Middle School principals as well as between the Mesquite Police Department and the Mesquite Fire Department. The winning principal’s school will receive $500, and the winning department will receive a $1,000 donation from Mesquite Gaming to a charity of its choice. The full schedule for this weekend-long event is below.
Sept. 6
At the CasaBlanca Events Center beginning at 1 p.m., attendees can enjoy barbecue, carnival-style food vendors, a beer garden, tailgate activities and games, and live music with DJ Jimmy Z. There will be a watermelon-eating contest at 4:30 p.m. between The Coyote 102.7 and KONY 99.9 Utah Radio, at 5 p.m. for 8- and 9-year-olds, at 5:30 p.m. for 10- and 11-year-olds, and at 7 p.m. for 12- and 13-year-olds. The day’s schedule also includes prize giveaways.
Aeromyth will perform in the CasaBlanca Showroom at 8:30 p.m. Hailed as “the ultimate Aerosmith tribute experience,” Aeromyth stays true to the authenticity of one of America’s greatest rock bands. Tickets can be purchased through Star Tickets or CasaBlanca Resort.
Sept. 7
At the CasaBlanca Events Center beginning at 11 a.m., attendees can enjoy barbecue and carnival-style food vendors, a beer garden, tailgate activities and games, and live music with DJ Jimmy Z. There will be a watermelon-eating contest at noon between Virgin Valley High School’s principal and Hughes Middle School’s principal, at 2 p.m. between the Mesquite Police Department and the Mesquite Fire Department, at 3:30 p.m. for 8- and 9-year-olds, at 4 p.m. for 10- and 11-year-olds, and at 5 p.m. for 12- and 13-year-olds. The day’s schedule also includes prize giveaways.
Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers will perform in the CasaBlanca Showroom at 8:30 p.m. Formed in 2011, Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers are the Bay Area’s own Ultimate ZZ Top tribute. The band pays homage to every detail of ZZ Top’s best music. Tickets can be purchased through Star Tickets or CasaBlanca Resort.
Sept. 8
In the CasaBlanca Showroom beginning at 11 a.m., attendees can enjoy barbecue and carnival-style food vendors, beer garden, tailgate activities and games, and live music with DJ Jimmy Z. The day’s schedule also includes children’s watermelon eating contests and prize giveaways. There will be a watermelon-eating contest at noon for 8- and 9-year-olds, at 1 p.m. for 10- and 11-year-olds, and at 2 p.m. for 12- and 13-year-olds.
The CasaBlanca Rib Fest is free and open to the public. For more information, visit casablancaresort.com/mesquite-bbq.
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