RV Rentals at Erie's Wild Rib Cook-Off & Music Festival
For over 30 years, Erie's Wild Rib Cook-Off & Music Festival has thrilled Pennsylvania with carnival rides, local vendors, live entertainment, award-winning barbecue teams, and delicious racks of ribs that practically melt off the bone. An estimated 50,000 visitors arrive each year to try the sizzling barbecue and enjoy family-friendly activities.
Erie's Wild Rib Cook-Off & Music Festival is a local, woman-owned company that spotlights other local businesses. Touring rib teams arrive to compete and prepare the best ribs in Erie. Quality meat, tasty spices, and savory sauces make each dish a once-in-a-lifetime meal. After the teams bring their ribs to a panel of judges, the winners receive trophies and hang banners over their booths.
Visit Erie's Wild Rib Cook-Off & Music Festival for a hot barbecue dinner and a night full of entertainment. Entrance is free for all ages.
ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT
Enjoy these activities at Erie's Wild Rib Cook-Off & Music Festival:
• Barbecue rib competition with award-winning teams featured on the Food Network
• Live music from local and regional bands
• Additional food and alcohol vendors
• Games and rides for kids
• Small business booths
For outside entertainment, visit the theaters, museums, stores, and restaurants that surround the park.
ON-SITE AMENITIES
Perry Square Park includes a fountain, a gazebo, and several historical statues and monuments. If you enjoy history, you can walk around and learn about famous figures. The park also has lawns and walking paths. Place a blanket or lawn chair on the ground, and relax as you eat.
LOCATION
The festival takes place at Perry Square Park, located at 571 State St, Erie, PA 16501. Intersections surround the park. Route 5, downtown Erie, and Little Italy are a short drive away.
LINEUP
The 2025 lineup for Erie's Wild Rib Cook-Off & Music Festival will be announced soon. For the latest updates, visit the official event page.
RVING AT THE EVENT
Perry Square Park doesn't have RV camping spaces, but you can stay in a nearby RV campground and drive to the park or use public transportation. Follow these tips for RVing in Pennsylvania:
• Federal public land limits camping to 14 days within a 28-day period. After that, you'll have to park your RV at another place at least 30 miles away.
• Every neighborhood is different, so check the Pennsylvania Parking Authority before parking your RV on the street. Otherwise, you could unintentionally break the law.
• Some parks limit dispersed camping, also known as boondocking, to a few areas, so do your research before building your camp.
Lampe Campground, only 2.5 miles from Erie, features 56 waterfront campsites with fishing charters, nearby boat rentals, and a free public boat launch. Each site contains a picnic table, a fire ring, and water and electrical hook-ups. Visitors receive access to restrooms, dumping stations, and 24-hour security. Ride your bike to the nearby Presque Isle State Park.
Erie KOA Holiday, about 14 miles away, provides a comfortable setting for guests who want to relax after an evening of music and barbecue. RV campgrounds have picnic tables, fire rings, parking spaces and electric hookups. While you're there, play arcade games, Ping-Pong, pool, and air hockey in the game room, or rent pedal carts and banana bikes.
Sparrow Pond, about 13 miles from Erie, offers weekday, weekend, and holiday rates, so plan accordingly. Guests choose from shaded full hookup sites, full hookup and back-in sites, and water and electric sites. During your stay, you can swim in the heated pool, hit the sand volleyball court, go fishing, or hang out in the recreation hall.
For more options, learn about the top 10 RV campgrounds in Erie.
RV Rentals Near Erie, Pennsylvania
Nearby RV Rentals
WHERE TO STAY
Park your RV at a campground or public site, then drive to the festival or take public transportation. Erie has plenty of RV parks with incredible views of the water. Make sure you have a working fridge to store your leftover barbecue.
If you prefer a hotel, Erie has several national chains and family-owned businesses. Choose from Cobblestone Hotel & Suites, Spencer House Bed & Breakfast, Courtyard Erie Bayfront, and Hampton Inn & Suites Erie Bayfront, among others. Amenities vary, but hotels often provide heated pools, free breakfast, clean sheets, and room service.
HOW TO GET THERE
If you're a Gannon University student, you could simply walk to Perry Square Park. Otherwise, Perry Square Park is close to downtown Erie. Drive north until you reach Route 5, and then make a left on State Street. This takes you right to the center of the park.
PARKING
Perry Square Park offers on-site and street parking. Several parking garages surround the area, including 5th & Peach Parking Garage, 8th & French Parking Garage, and Erie Insurance Parking Garage. If the parking garage isn't within walking distance, you could call a taxi or Uber or arrange transportation ahead of time.
TICKETS & PRICING
Entry is free, but the festival may charge for carnival tickets. Learn more about ticket prices on the festival website.
WRAP UP
Erie's Wild Rib Cook-Off & Music Festival is one of Pennsylvania's hottest events for foodies and music lovers. This event goes on for several days, so you'll have plenty of time to camp, hang out, and sample delicious barbecue. Keep checking the official website for rib team and musical guest announcements. For more updates, check the festival's Facebook page.
Please note, this is not the official source of the event information. While we try to be as comprehensive as possible, some details may have changed since the time this article was written. Please confirm final details with the official event page .
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