So many meat-eaters were at Port Moody's RibFest last weekend that vendors were out of some items on Sunday, the city says.
The third annual feast at Rocky Point Park drew tens of thousands of hungry visitors from around Metro Vancouver wanting a taste of the saucy ribs, local craft beer and live music.
City spokesperson Rosemary Lodge said the beer garden — which poured craft lager and ales from nearby Brewers Row — was at capacity Saturday night while Sunday was the busiest day overall.
Organizers were ready to handle the extra crowds — many of them arriving via the newly opened Evergreen Extension — and had ordered 20% more product than last year.
Still, it wasn't enough with four of the five cookers out of some menu selections on Day 3.
In an email to members of the Port Moody Rotary, which hosted the attraction, president Michael Poznanski praised volunteers for the successful run, noting: "You all deserve the biggest pats on the back for your devotion to the community and the club. The park was packed!!!"
He also gave kudos to the rib runners especially the Port Moody soccer players and others who delivered orders from the cashier in under three minutes.
Lodge said the city was also better prepared this year for the amount of waste and recycling generated on site. More signs to divert garbage were posted, more bins were installed and more options for customers to sort their left-overs were available.
In total, 194 green waste carts (240L) were filled and five tonnes of green waste was recycled — up one tonne from RibFest 2016.
As for the grass and green spaces, the city's parks staff are now working to repair the damage, Lodge said.
Parking was also tight on and around Murray Street with Inlet Field opened to accommodate the overflow; however, on Saturday, tow trucks were ordered to remove some vehicles that had blocked in others. Police reopened the lot once the issues were resolved, Lodge said.
Port Moody Police Department reported no arrests. "We had great co-operation. It's a great community event," Sgt. Brad Sheridan said.
