I plan on going to the one downtown! There is nothing exciting at all about the fairgrounds. I could be wrong, but I think they made a mistake in moving it to Maumee. I think their numbers will probably be down significantly.
posted by HeyHey at 03:13 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 16, 2006 #
I'd like to go to the one at the Rec. center, if for nothing other than to see Grand Funk.
posted by JeepMaker at 03:52 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 16, 2006 #
Downtown pissed away the riboff. To come up with their own version is sour grapes. Typical too little too late toledo city politics. The city shouldda found something of its own rather than try to duplicate something that will lessen both.
We have a well known fish run every year. Why not a fish festival?
posted by billy at 04:20 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 16, 2006 #
I may go to the one in Maumee. Right now, I prefer the location at the Rec Center. It's more convenient personally for many reasons.
The numbers may be lower in Maumee for the first year.
However, I think it could be a positive move for this event to go to Maumee in the long-term!!
posted by fredbruford at 04:23 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 16, 2006 #
This rib-off fiasco is a small example of why other communities don't trust Toledo nor want to work with Toledo on unigov/regionalism ideas.
The downtown rib-off moved to Maumee. Instead of Toledo working with Maumee to promote the region, Toledo decides to create its own to compete with Maumee. So much for co-operating with other communities. Toledo doesn't yet grasp the concept of Lake Erie West.
When Toledo passed the strict smoking ban in the summer of 2003, Toledo begged the burbs to do the same because Toledo was losing money. The burbs didn't because they had more important issues to deal with than smoking bans. Why didn't Toledo work with the burbs very early on to create a fair, county-wide ban? Toledo's priorities were screwed up.
Toledo only thinks of itself when it starts talking about the benefits of unigov or regionalism. If Toledo cannot work with another community on something as trivial as a rib-off, how can Toledo be trusted to work fairly on more complicated projects?
Remember, the rib-off that moved from Toledo to Maumee is called the Northwest Ohio Rib-off. It wasn't called the Toledo rib-off, and it's not now called the Maumee rib-off. It's Northwest Ohio, but apparently, Toledo doesn't realize that Northwest Ohio includes other towns besides Toledo.
And remember the reasons why the Northwest Ohio Rib-off moved from downtown Toledo to the Lucas County Fairgrounds. The county fairgrounds, not the Maumee fairgrounds. Does Toledo realize that Lucas County is more than just Toledo? I have my doubts.
September 28, 2005 Toledo Free Press story:
"The Northwest Ohio Rib-Off, a fund-raising event for United Health Services, intends to move its annual event from Promenade Park in Downtown to one of three locations. Patty Mazur, director of events for United Health Services confirmed the organization is currently in negotiations to move the 22-year-old event, which has always been held in Promenade Park."
"Earlier this year, Toledo Free Press reported the event management had difficulties with hosting the event Downtown. Mazur cited ongoing construction at the Steam Plant and the news of park renovations as reasons for seeking a new venue."
"Mazur said she has met with representatives of the Lucas County Recreation Center, Toledo Speedway and Northcoast Motorcycles to discuss the event's needs. She said a commitment announcement should be made mid-October. Mazur wants the event to draw upwards of 500,000 people. In August, the event drew 90,000."
Last October, Czarty made the rib-off a campaign issue.
"From wspd:Former Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner says he wants to keep the annual rib-off event along the riverfront, but the steam plant redevelopment and Mayor Ford's proposed amphitheater project at Promenade Park has the rib-off organizers looking elsewhere. Finkbeiner says if elected, some improvements could be made at Promenade Park, but the city's efforts would be focused on developing the Marina District."
How can you blame the people from the Northwest Ohio Rib-off for looking elsewhere based upon the information above, especially when the group wants to dramatically increase attendance? What were they suppose to do, wait until this past spring to make a decision, which would have been too late for a successful rib-off this year?
If Toledo's unemployment rate was around 4.0%, then I could see wasting time on creating a competing rib-off.
Northwest Ohio Rib-off at the Lucas County Fairgrounds. Where does it say Toledo or Maumee except in the address, which is secondary to promoting the entire region or at least the county?
But unfortunately, although not surprisingly, Toledo knuckleheads view this as Toledo vs Maumee, which is damn whacked, and another example of the mindset in Toledo that has hampered Toledo and this region for so many years.
The Northwest Ohio Rib-off benefits United Health Services. Is that a bad thing? If not, why is Toledo trying to undermine it?
How many other events this summer are held downtown along the river? I'm suppose to believe that some people cannot live without the rib-off being along the river.
From do Toledo:
Northwest Ohio Rib-Off
Dates & Times:
August 10, 2006 - August 13, 2006 on
Thursday 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Friday 11:30 am to 9:00 pm
Saturday 11:30 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday 11:30 am to 7:00 pm
Lucas County Fairgrounds
posted by jr at 05:09 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 16, 2006 #
I will be going to the Maumee one but only because my parents live in the area. It will be the first rib off I've been to since '93 or '94 one of those years.
The reason I'm so energized is because of Grand Funk. If Toledo wanted to push it more there is no reason they couldn't gotten a band like this to play 5/3rd but again no imagination.
I wish someone would promote a keg bash as a nice goodbye to Luke's Barn which will close at the end of the summer.
Also I liked the German American Festival better at the Rec center than in the middle of a muddy field.
posted by MikeyA at 05:37 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 16, 2006 #
I haven't been to a Rib-Off in years, but with it being at the Rec Center I might check it out. I hate parking down town.
posted by OhioKat at 09:23 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 16, 2006 #
I can't seem to put my finger on it, but I have never liked any event that has been held at the rec center.I also live very close to the rec center.When the Mud Hens played there I think I attended maybe two games over a twenty five year period.Since they have moved downtown I probably have been to forty games at their new location.I just do not like the atmosphere at the rec center.It has nothing to do about Maumee vs. Toledo.As they say ,it is location,location,location.The main reason I liked the river location was that several of my friends would dock their boats and we would visit with them and party on their boats.Some people I knew would stay in their boats all weekend and we would end the rib off with a trip to the Ottawa river yacht club on Sunday.We would also use the water taxi to travel from the rib off to the docks restaurants to have a cocktail.Try doing that at the rec center.For me the rib off will never be the same.There is no way the event will ever have the same ambience as it had along the river.Im sorry, but the Maumee location just does not cut it for me.I will be spending my money at the docks that weekend!
posted by buckeye277 at 10:01 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 16, 2006 #
"I can't seem to put my finger on it, but I have never liked any event that has been held at the rec center. I just do not like the atmosphere at the rec center."
The rec center is a couple big buildings and a parking lot. There's nothing to like or dislike about it. It's just a place with a lot of room. I've attended many events there over the years. It's what was going on inside that mattered. If you don't like any of the events hosted in the buildings, that's one thing.
"As they say ,it is location,location,location."
Exactly, which is why downtown Toledo doesn't hold many outdoor events along the river in January. Funny, how many of those wind up indoors at SeaGate or the rec center.
"I will be spending my money at the docks that weekend!"
Since you won't be supporting United Health Services, do us a favor and don't patronize any of the restaurants owned by that Starbucks-loving, hypocrite Tom Cousino.
posted by jr at 10:32 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 16, 2006 #
I'll be definetly attending the Rib-Off in downtown. The river, the skyline and location is great, cannot beat that. The Northwest Rib-off made a bad mistake of moving it to Maumee which they could've held it at International Park.
German-American festival which I assume majority of the residents in this metro region have German heritage than any other heritages should be held anywhere but Oregon.
posted by HolyHolyToledo at 10:55 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 16, 2006 #
For what it's worth, I worked downtown for some years. Our company--like many others--made a tradition of letting employees go for a long lunch to walk down to the rib-off and have an enjoyable day.
The truth is that losing the rib-off to Maumee was an unfortunate thing for downtown workers.
I'm happy the city is sponsoring a seperate downtown event for this reason, especially.
The rib-off became a tradition that many Toledoans looked forward to. I find it perfectly acceptable that the city decided to go it alone once the committe running the original event took it to the suburbs.
Although it's not run in the same manner, if a fictionl org. that ran the annual indepence day fireworks decided to set them off in Maumee, would you expect the city of Toledo to just forego a celebration that year in lieu of the one in Maumee?
Maybe it's not about sabotaging maumee and instead maintaining one of the few annual institutions on the downtown waterfront.
posted by shaneh at 12:20 A.M. EST on Mon Jul 17, 2006 #
Interesting discussion...but I'm reading that most of you go to the event for the location and ribs. While I like good ribs, I always supported it because it was a fundraiser for United Health Services.
Perhaps I look at this a bit differently. Since I've always gone to support the sponsoring organization, its location will not impact my decision whether or not to attend. For the same reason, if a charity had always been at a local hall, but now needed Stranahan or Seagate, I wouldn't stop supporting them because they'd moved the site of the event.
I understand Toledo wanting to have an activity on the river during weekends in the summer. But, like Billy said, why couldn't Toledo come up with a unique idea like a city-wide fish fry? I'd suggested such during the discussions, but the rejection of this idea indicated to me that this was more about penalizing United Health Services for leaving Toledo than it was about offering entertainment to Toledo residents.
JR hit the nail on the head - just another example of actions not supporting words when it comes to cooperation between Toledo and the surrounding communities. And then they wonder why no one trusts them.
posted by MaggieThurber at 06:11 A.M. EST on Mon Jul 17, 2006 #
"Exactly, which is why downtown Toledo doesn't hold many outdoor events along the river in January. Funny, how many of those wind up indoors at SeaGate or the rec center. "
Who said anything about January? Don't put words in my mouth!If you would like to talk about January then I will be spending my money at the sports arena and the docks and several of the clubs downtown after the hockey games.I am a season ticket holder for the Storm and have been for several years.There again I will not be going to the rec center no matter what,winter or summer.I just do not like the facility and besides what is there to do in Maumee near the rec center after an event?
Boring! Boring!
posted by buckeye277 at 09:16 A.M. EST on Mon Jul 17, 2006 #
Goody gumdrops for you buckeye277. The city needs more people like you who support downtown businesses. Side question: How in the hell do you stomach that brand of hockey played by the Storm and the others in that league for an entire season? Don't you want better?
And BTW, you said: "I have never liked any event that has been held at the rec center."
That would include invents in January and other months.
"... fireworks decided to set them off in Maumee."
Bad analogy, since Maumee-Perrysburg already have a nice fireworks show. And notice how that's Maumee-Perrysburg, not separate fireworks shows for each community.
"Maumee: Food and live entertainment 5 to 9 p.m. July 3 at Wayne and Conant streets. Joint fireworks with Perrysburg at dusk, launched from Maumee/Perrysburg bridge."
"Our company--like many others--made a tradition of letting employees go for a long lunch to walk down to the rib-off and have an enjoyable day. I'm happy the city is sponsoring a seperate downtown event for this reason, especially."
That's great, but don't you think the city should have possessed the creative ability to invent something new besides another rib-off? Are ribs the only thing downtown workers will leave work for to eat at a festival? Isn't is possible to have another tradition with another kind of popular food or event? Obviously not. Toledoans may need to expand their horizons a little and not be so narrow-minded.
If the city asked anyone here to create an idea for a new downtown traditional food-eating event, but you couldn't suggest a rib-off, would you be able to come up with something, or would ribs be the only thing on your minds?
Toledo shit a brick or a slab, had a knee-jerk reaction, and the best the city could come up with was another rib-off. What a waste. What a blown opportunity to create a truly UNIQUE and NEW tradition for a downtown festival that could have been more interesting than ribs. But obviously, limited mental creative ability exists with the powers-to-be in Toledo.
posted by jr at 11:16 A.M. EST on Mon Jul 17, 2006 #
Let me ask this, is the "competition" at the rib-off important? Do workplaces have office pools, picking who will win? Is there a bracket of rib-off competitors like in the NCAA hoops tourneys? Is it really important to sample ribs from some guy supposedly from Texas or Alabama?
Or is it mainly about eating outside downtown along the river in the summertime with lots of other people and live music and beer?
Couldn't Toledo have invented a giant picnic kind of festival along the river that included:
* fried and grilled Lake Erie yellow perch and walleye
* fried and grilled veggies
* barbecue chicken
* roast of pig
* local rib and steak joints doing their specialties
* corn-on-the cob like at some corn fests
* local or regional fresh fruit, like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, melons, peaches, all dependent on when in the summer the festival is held.
At least then there would be something for everyone. And you would be able to buy samples too, so you could try a little of everything.
We live next to one of the best fishing holes in the country. Lake Erie yellow perch and walleye are tough to beat. But don't only offer a fried option. Jazz it up a bit, and grill it too.
Same for veggies. Don't just deep fry them. Offer grilled veggies, like on a skewer. Could be a mix of tomatoes, onions, little mushrooms, and green, yellow, and red peppers all grilled on a stick. And grill asparagus and big portobello mushrooms and any other tasty veggie.
Show a little imagination. When you cook outside in the backyard, do you deep-fry everything or is it mostly grilled? Yellow gold potatoes and onions wrapped in foil and cooked on the grill, that's good stuff.
Although, a turkey cooked in one of those big, deep-frying oil bombs that burn down garages at Thanksgiving is damn tasty. Add that kind of turkey to the list of options.
A slow-roasted pig? Come on, you know that's good eatin.
You have seen people at festivals grill dozens half chickens on those big grills that take a couple of people to turn over. That would be a part of the "picnic" too.
And like I said, samples could be offered. Maybe you don't want a half a grilled chicken. You'd be able to get little samples of chicken pork, ribs, steak, fish, veggies, etc.
It would be a multi-day feed bag event. One day for lunch, you eat chicken or ribs. Another day, fish. And when you're feeling guilty about your eating habits, you eat grilled veggies and fresh fruit.
As much as possible, the veggies, fruit, fish, meat should come from local farmers, producers, suppliers. Support local businesses, right? Obviously, the local produce that's available in late June is different than in August, but the committee would work around that. Buy local when possible, go outside when not. And if someone has to make a Michigan-run to get cherries and blueberries, so what?
Again, a little imagination. I bought a couple of containers of Michigan blueberries the other day, and they're gone already. I dump a small conainer of lemon or key-lime yougurt into a bowl with a bunch of blueberries. Healthy and tasty.
Lookit, the menu at the new Hens Stadium is a bit more expanded and fancier than what the old stadium offered, right? The new stadiums are offering all kinds of food options. So a big downtown Toledo picnic should also be a bit more fancier than a few fried foods. Maybe it shouldn't allow anything fried, except for the turkey. Only grilled, except for the fruit.
And of course, the beer and as much live music as possible.
posted by jr at 12:28 P.M. EST on Mon Jul 17, 2006 #
And maybe not just beer. What about offering wine? Are there legal issues that would prevent wine from being offered at such a downtown event?
You got your grilled walleye, grilled veggies, and some fresh fruit, a water bottle, and a glass of wine. A cold glass of white wine on a warm day would be fine. This area has several wine-specialty shops. They would be involved in the event.
Even if it's legal, I wonder if offering wine at an outdoor event downtown is too highbrow for Toledo? I say no.
And hopefully, the beer offered is not just Budweiser and Busch. Sure, those would be available along with something better. The Guinness wagon would be a nice addition and so would brews from local micro-breweries. You got options. Budweiser or something from the Maumee Bay Brewing Company.
If those national beers don't want to play nice with other breweries, then the hell with them. We'll use only local and regional brews. My favorite right now is "Oberon Ale" by Bell's Brewery in Comstock, Michigan. I buy it at The Andersons. The brewery calls the beer a summer ale, so I better enjoy it while it's around.
Locally and regionally produced brews and produce. I like that cherry wine from northern Michigan.
And maybe you want some fine artisan bread with your meal. The committee gets that kind of bread locally, or it can be imported from Zingerman's Deli in Ann Abor. Zingerman's bread is sold at The Andersons and at Churchill's on Central. You should try it if you haven't. I also used to get great bread from Messina's in the Erie Street Market. If Messina's is still around somewhere, they could supply the fine bread.
Hell, may as well throw in some locally or regionally produced cheeses. Now you've got the three main food groups: wine, cheese, and bread.
And of course, proceeds from such a festival go to charity.
So nothing above was considered as a substitute for the Northwest Ohio Rib-off? Couldn't all or some of the above options work within the framework of a downtown, multi-day, riverside event?
After the rib-off moved to the rec center last fall, I cannot believe the city thinkers sat around wondering what to do and all that popped into their heads was another rib-off.
posted by jr at 01:10 P.M. EST on Mon Jul 17, 2006 #
Oh, can't forget to offer pies and other desserts. How many bakeries are around here?
posted by jr at 01:13 P.M. EST on Mon Jul 17, 2006 #
Mmmmmm. Scalding hot spicy ribs in 90+ heat and humidity. Mmmmmm. Oops, I've said that before. 8^D
posted by Darkseid at 01:32 P.M. EST on Mon Jul 17, 2006 #
jr - great ideas! I love it...maybe there's an opportunity for next year?
posted by MaggieThurber at 07:12 P.M. EST on Mon Jul 17, 2006 #
JR is right. Toledo missed yet another opportunity. As I always said when I worked with football teams "Potential can only be measured in accomplishments".
posted by MikeyA at 11:06 A.M. EST on Wed Jul 19, 2006 #
Toledo already has a venue similar to what jr speaks about.It is called the taste of Toledo.Maybe now they should move the event to the river front instead of St. Clair street.I do like the idea of a giant fish fry though.It could feature Walleye and perch.If they fried the fish by the river you wouldn't even tell the difference from the normal smell of the river.LOL!
posted by buckeye277 at 01:18 P.M. EST on Wed Jul 19, 2006 #
"Bad analogy, since Maumee-Perrysburg already have a nice fireworks show. And notice how that's Maumee-Perrysburg, not separate fireworks shows for each community. "
I contend that it's an excellent analogy, BECUASE of this.
No one is saying "Maumee is selfish. They had to work with PBurg to create their OWN FIREWORKS show. Certainly they could've used their imagination and had a laser light show or something else. Does it HAVE to be fireworks?"
See? That's a dumb argument, isn't it? Now SHUDDUP ABOUT THE RIBS.
Imagine that the Rec center was still in Toledo, just a couple miles from where it actually sits. If the rib off was moved to the (toledo based) rec center, I think we'd still be having this argument. It isn't about the city losing events, it's about the DOWNTOWN losing events.
posted by shaneh at 10:47 A.M. EST on Wed Jul 26, 2006 #
"Now SHUDDUP ABOUT THE RIBS."
Yeah, right.
You and other petty Toledo-centric thinkers are the ones in a lather over this rib thing. You are the reason why people in other communities don't trust Toledo.
Good luck with your new downtown rib-off event. With such an important emphasis placed on a new downtown rib-off by the city and you shaneh, I'm positive the event will stop people from moving out of Toledo. I'm sure it will attract new businesses. This new rib-off will solve Toledo's problems.
shaneh, I noticed that your lack of creative thinking couldn't come up with something besides another rib-off.
You just said:
"... it's about the DOWNTOWN losing events."
Uh, wrong. According to you and others, it's about downtown Toledo losing a rib-off. Why does the new event have to be another rib-off? Where's the imagination, shaneh?
And by the way, your explanation about Maumee-Perrysburg disproves your own argument and validates mine when you said:
"[Maumee] had to work with PBurg ..."
View your own words. The two communities worked together, not against each other.
Did their show have to be fireworks? Well, that's what most communities do around the 4th of July. In case you haven't heard, fireworks around July 4th is some kind of tradition in the U.S. Why doesn't Toledo do a laser show instead of fireworks?
Do all August events have to be rib-offs? Does some tradition exist in the U.S. that all communities do rib-offs in July or August? Does the public expect rib-off events in July or August the way they expect fireworks around July 4th?
Keep trying, shaneh. You may one day come up with an argument for a new downtown Toledo rib-off that makes sense.
And remember, shaneh, Maumee didn't steal the Northwest Ohio Rib-off from Toledo. The organizers had concerns over the construction in Promenade park, and they were looking for a different area to support a larger audience.
posted by jr at 01:29 P.M. EST on Wed Jul 26, 2006 #
(Applause) Very well said, JR.
posted by Darkseid at 12:11 A.M. EST on Thu Jul 27, 2006 #
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