Heinz Field Kickoff and Rib Fest canceled

There will be no ribs slathered in barbecue sauce over Labor Day weekend on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.

The annual Heinz Field Kickoff and Rib Fest has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Tuesday.

The five-day festival had been scheduled to start Sept. 3 and run through Sept. 7.

Officials said in a news release that they made the decision to cancel because of concerns about the health and safety of attendees, employees and vendors.

“This was a really tough decision, but one we felt was the right thing to do,” said Nick Sero, corporate communications manager for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Heinz Field.

“It’s unfortunate, but we’re excited to begin plans for our 2021 Rib Fest and Kickoff,” Sero said.

The annual event brings more than 100,000 people to the North Shore who buy more than 60,000 pounds of ribs. Chefs vie for the People’s Choice Award that goes to the maker of the best ribs, as determined by a panel of judges through a blind taste test.

Solomon Williams, owner of Carolina Rib King in Spartanburg, S.C., said this is the largest show that he and many of the rib vendors attend each year. He said he is not surprised by the cancellation. Iin February and early March, he was closely watching information on the coronavirus, as borders were shut down and products could not reach certain destinations.

Williams thought about what would happen if he did travel to Pittsburgh and he or one of his employees got sick — and how would they get back home.

“It is really not good,” Williams said. “This cancellation is not easy to swallow, but it’s the right thing to do. We all know the promoter and the organizers really wanted the rib festival to happen, but we also understand as they do that it is about everyone’s safety. I could jump up and down and scream and holler about this, but this was done for the safety of me and all of the rib vendors on the circuit as well as the people of Pittsburgh.”

The first Kickoff and Rib Fest was held in 1990 at the former Three Rivers Stadium. Organizers set up the festival around the stadium’s circular perimeter, with the main entrance located near the Gate A ramp. After Three Rivers closed, the event moved to a parking lot near Heinz Field before moving onto Art Rooney Avenue.