Bret Michaels, Kansas, Colt Ford headline Northwest Ohio Rib-Off

5/14/2013

Country singer Trace Adkins, center, and Maureen Maltez rehearse the song 'Watch the World End' in Franklin, Tenn. with Jon Coleman on keyboards.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Classic rockers Bret Michaels and Kansas and country star Colt Ford will headline this year’s Yark Automotive Group 30th Annual Northwest Ohio Rib-Off, presented by The Blade.

The event takes place Aug. 8-11 and will feature seven national rib vendors and three local restaurants at the Lucas County Fairgrounds in Maumee.

On Aug. 8, Ford will bring his distinctive blend of rap and country to the event and the opening act will be Josh Thompson. Aug. 9 will feature the crowd-pleasing Poison frontman Michaels, who regularly plays the Toledo area. On Aug. 10 Kansas will bring their their 40th anniversary tour show to the Rib-Off.

Seating for all three concerts is limited, so pre-purchasing Rib-Off tickets is advised. Aug. 8 general admission is $5 in advance and $7 at the gate. On Aug. 9 and 10, general admission tickets are $7 in advance or $10 at the gate. Advance general admission tickets are available at any Tireman or The Andersons location, the Stranahan Theater Box Office, or via phone at 419-381-8851, or at www.etix.com.

VIP seating for Ford will be $15 in advance and $19 at the gate. VIP seating for Michaels is $30 in advance and $35 at the gate the day of the show, and VIP for Kansas is $25 in advance and $30 at the gate the day of the show. VIP tickets can be purchased at the Stranahan Theater Box Office, by phone at 419-381-8851, or at www.etix.com. Tickets go on sale Friday.

Hours for the Rib-Off are Aug. 8, 4-9 p.m.; Aug. 9, noon–11 p.m.; Aug. 10, noon–11:00 p.m., and Sunday, noon–7 p.m. Aug. 9 and 10 is free until 3 p.m. Sunday admission is free all day courtesy of Cedar Creek Church. For more information, contact Mike Mori, event director, at 419-724-6380.