CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Mesquite Gaming, owner of the CasaBlanca Resort and Virgin River Hotel, is excited to announce the fifth annual CasaBlanca Rib Fest is back! The three-day family fun event will run Friday through Sunday.

This year’s Rib Fest will feature some of the country’s best barbecue vendors in a top-notch cooking competition serving up delicious ribs and meats. In addition, attendees will enjoy fun tailgating games, daily eating contests and a live DJ keeping the energy high through the weekend. The Rib Fest is free and open to the public.  

As an added attraction this year, CasaBlanca Resort presents exciting live musical entertainment both Friday and Saturday nights. Popular country music artists Due West will perform on Friday night starting at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 if purchased before Friday or $20 at the door. On Saturday night, American rock ‘n’ roll band Alter Ego performs all big hits starting at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 if purchased before Saturday or $20 at the door.  

“All of our national BBQ all-stars are back this year to vie for the prestigious Rib Fest cooking awards,” said Christian Adderson, assistant general manager at Mesquite Gaming. “Our guests look forward every year to coming out for this weekend of fantastic food, family fun and entertainment. Having our special musical performers on Friday and Saturday nights will raise this event to its highest level of excitement yet.” 

Notable food vendors include Austin’s Texas Lightning, who has more than 30 years of experience serving award-winning barbecue, Chicago BBQ Company, who won first place at 2017’s Best in the West Rib Festival, and Texas Outlaw BBQ, who boasts more than 250 first-place awards over the past 25 years.

This year, attendees will get to choose which barbecue they love the most and vote for the People’s Choice Award. Participants can vote once per day on CasaBlancaResort.com, and the team with the most votes by Sunday evening will win $2,000. 

2022 schedule of activities (all event times in PDT)

Friday – CasaBlanca Events Center from 1-7 p.m.  

Beginning at 1 p.m., attendees can enjoy barbecue and carnival-style food vendors, a beer garden, tailgate activities and games and live music with DJ Lex. The day’s schedule also includes children’s watermelon eating contests and prize giveaways.  

• 4:30 p.m. Watermelon eating contest: KWNR The Bull 95.5 vs. 99.9 KONY Country. 
• 5 p.m. Watermelon eating contest: 8 to 9 year-olds.  
• 5:30 p.m. Watermelon eating contest: 10 to 11-year-olds.  
• 7 p.m. Watermelon eating contest: 12 to 13 year-olds. 
• 7:30 p.m. Due West performance. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., showtime 8:30 p.m.

Saturday – CasaBlanca Events Center from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.  

Beginning at 11 a.m., attendees can enjoy barbecue and carnival-style food vendors, a beer garden, tailgate activities and games and music with DJ Lex. The day’s schedule also includes children’s watermelon eating contests and prize giveaways.  

• Noon Watermelon eating contest: Virgin Valley High School principal vs. Hughes Middle School principal.   
• 2 p.m. Watermelon eating contest: Mesquite Police Department vs. Mesquite Fire Department.   
• 3:30 p.m. Watermelon eating contest: 8 to 9 year-olds.  
• 4 p.m. Watermelon eating contest: 10 to 11 year-olds.  
• 5 p.m. Watermelon eating contest: 12 to 13 year-olds.  
• 7:30 p.m. Alter Ego performance. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., showtime 8:30 p.m. 

Sunday – CasaBlanca Showroom from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

Beginning at 11 a.m., attendees can enjoy barbecue and carnival-style food vendors, a beer garden, tailgate activities and games and music with DJ Lex. The day’s schedule also includes children’s watermelon eating contests and prize giveaways.  

• Noon Watermelon eating contest: 8 to 9 year-olds.  
• 1 p.m. Watermelon eating contest: 10 to 11 year-olds.
• 2 p.m. Watermelon eating contest: 12 to 13 year-olds.  

Due West and Alter Ego tickets can be purchased by clicking here. For more information, visit CasaBlancaResort.com/Mesquite-BBQ or follow Mesquite Gaming on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.  

About Mesquite Gaming  

Mesquite Gaming, located 77 miles north of Las Vegas, includes Virgin River Hotel/Casino/Bingo and CasaBlanca Resort-Casino-Golf-Spa. A premier golf destination, Mesquite Gaming owns and operates The Palms Golf Club and CasaBlanca Golf Club. Combined, the two properties feature 1,186 guest rooms, 76,000 square feet of casino space with 2,000 slot machines and 36 gaming tables, and 70,000 square feet of meeting and convention space including an outdoor entertainment venue.

For more information, visit MesquiteGaming.com. 

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