Watford City’s Main Street shuts down for exactly one day every August, and it’s worth planning around: Best of the West Ribfest brings rib teams, a classic car show, live music, and roughly 8,000 people into downtown for a genuine community-scale celebration that’s grown from a handful of Chamber members grilling outside their storefronts into one of the Basin’s most anticipated summer traditions.
Best of the West Ribfest started in 2003 with a specific, practical goal: giving motorcyclists traveling to and from Sturgis a reason to stop in Watford City rather than just passing through. Over two decades later, what began as a small gathering of Chamber members and business owners grilling outside their storefronts has grown into a full Main Street festival, and the 2026 event is shaping up to continue that growth.
2026 Ribfest Dates and Basics
Best of the West Ribfest runs Friday, August 14, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Main Street in Watford City. The event is organized by the Watford City Area Chamber of Commerce, and Main Street itself is blocked off for the day to accommodate the rib competition booths, the car show, vendor and craft booths, and the crowds that come with all of it.
The Rib Competition: The Event’s Namesake
The rib cook-off is the heart of the event, with competing teams — typically representing local businesses, organizations, and dedicated barbecue enthusiasts from around the area — squaring off to determine who’s actually got the best ribs in the west. Recent years have drawn 16 to 22 competing teams, with the 2025 event alone seeing competitors serve more than 6,000 pounds of ribs to attendees. Teams are required to prepare a minimum of 200 pounds of ribs each, and rib booths are positioned together at the northern end of Main Street specifically so teams can clean up and clear out once they’ve finished serving for the day.
Ribs typically start being served in the early evening, around 6 p.m., so timing your arrival with that in mind — rather than expecting rib sampling to be available all day — helps you plan around the actual competition schedule rather than just the event’s overall hours.
“It really started as something small — a few Chamber members grilling outside their own storefronts to give bikers heading to Sturgis a reason to stop. Now you’ve got twenty-plus teams going head to head, thousands of pounds of ribs, and a headline concert closing out the night. It’s grown into something the whole Basin looks forward to every August.”
Beyond the Ribs: Car Show, Music, and Family Activities
Classic Car & Truck Show
The Best of the West Classic Car & Truck Show runs alongside the rib competition, positioned in the center of Main Street with registration typically held in the morning at the nearby First Lutheran Church parking lot. Vehicles of all ages are welcome, with judging categories including People’s Choice, Best Truck, Best Paint, Best GM, Best Ford, and Best Modern Muscle among others. The show typically runs from late morning through early evening, giving attendees hours to walk through and admire the entries before judging wraps up in the late afternoon.
Live Music and Entertainment
Ribfest has grown a genuine live music component over the years, featuring performances from local bands on side stages throughout the day, building toward a headline concert from a nationally touring act closing out the evening — recent years have included performers like Hunter Hayes. Checking the current year’s specific lineup on the official Ribfest website closer to the date gives the most accurate picture of who’s playing, since headliner announcements are typically confirmed as the event approaches.
Kids’ Corner and Family Activities
Families with younger kids can look for the Kids’ Corner, typically set up in the parking lot of the 360 Building on North Main Street and running from mid-afternoon into early evening, with activities like kinetic sand, bubbles, and sidewalk chalk giving younger attendees their own dedicated activity area. A cornhole tournament rounds out the day’s additional entertainment options for attendees who want more than just watching the rib competition and car show.
Planning Your Trip to Ribfest From the Basin
Since Ribfest happens right in Watford City itself, visitors staying at a Basin-area RV park don’t need to travel far to catch the event — this is very much a stay-local, walk-downtown kind of festival rather than a destination requiring significant additional travel. For visitors who are already planning a summer Watford City stay around Theodore Roosevelt National Park, timing a visit to include the second Friday in August lets you combine a North Unit day with an evening at one of the town’s biggest annual community celebrations. The planning a Theodore Roosevelt National Park trip this summer guide covers how to structure a park visit that pairs naturally with an August Ribfest evening.
Because Ribfest draws a genuinely large crowd for a town Watford City’s size — around 8,000 people for a single-day event — arriving a bit early if you want a good vantage point for the headline concert, and expecting Main Street parking to fill up, are both reasonable things to plan around. Given that this is one of the Basin’s most anticipated summer events, treating the date with the same advance planning you’d apply to any other major summer weekend — similar to the demand pattern covered in the Independence Day weekend Basin booking guide — is a reasonable approach if your visit is specifically timed around the festival.
Best of the West Ribfest 2026 — quick reference: Date: Friday, August 14, 2026, 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Main Street, Watford City, ND. History: started 2003, originally to give Sturgis-bound motorcyclists a reason to stop in Watford City. Rib competition: 16-22+ teams in recent years, minimum 200 lbs of ribs per team, serving typically starts around 6 p.m. Booths at the north end of Main Street. Car show: Best of the West Classic Car & Truck Show, center of Main Street, morning registration at First Lutheran Church, judging in late afternoon. Music: local bands on side stages plus a headline touring act closing the night (recent example: Hunter Hayes). Kids’ Corner: 360 Building parking lot on North Main St, mid-afternoon to early evening, kinetic sand/bubbles/chalk. Also: cornhole tournament, vendor and craft booths. Info: watfordcityribfest.com, Watford City Area Chamber of Commerce, (701) 570-5084.
For visitors planning a summer Basin stay that includes Ribfest, Watford City RV Park puts you close enough to walk or take a short drive into downtown for the festival itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Best of the West Ribfest in 2026?
Best of the West Ribfest takes place on Friday, August 14, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Main Street in Watford City, North Dakota. The event is organized by the Watford City Area Chamber of Commerce and features a rib cook-off competition, a classic car and truck show, live music, a cornhole tournament, and family activities including a dedicated Kids’ Corner.
How did Best of the West Ribfest get started?
Best of the West Ribfest began in 2003 as a way to encourage motorcyclists traveling to and from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally to stop in Watford City rather than passing through. It started as a small gathering of Chamber members and local business owners grilling outside their own storefronts and has grown over the years into a full Main Street festival drawing around 8,000 attendees, with dozens of rib competition teams, a classic car show, and a headline concert.
What time do the ribs get served at Ribfest?
Rib serving typically begins in the early evening, around 6 p.m., as competing teams finish their cooking and present their entries to judges and attendees. The overall event runs much longer, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., with the car show, vendor booths, and family activities running throughout the day before the rib serving and evening concert take center stage later on.
Is there live music at Best of the West Ribfest?
Yes. Ribfest features local bands performing on side stages throughout the day, building toward a headline concert from a nationally touring act that closes out the evening — recent years have featured performers including Hunter Hayes. Checking the official Ribfest website (watfordcityribfest.com) as the event approaches gives the most accurate current-year lineup, since headliner announcements are typically confirmed closer to the festival date.
Are there activities for kids at Ribfest?
Yes, the Kids’ Corner is typically set up in the parking lot of the 360 Building on North Main Street and runs from mid-afternoon into early evening, offering activities including kinetic sand, bubbles, and sidewalk chalk for younger attendees. A cornhole tournament and the general festival atmosphere, including the car show, also give families plenty to see and do throughout the day beyond the rib competition itself.
Do I need to travel far to attend Ribfest if I’m staying in Watford City?
No. Best of the West Ribfest takes place right on Main Street in downtown Watford City, so visitors staying at a Basin-area RV park don’t need significant additional travel to attend. Given the event’s popularity, drawing approximately 8,000 attendees for a single day, arriving a bit early and expecting downtown parking to fill up is a reasonable expectation, particularly if you want a good vantage point for the evening’s headline concert.