Sara Driedger
Lakeside Leader

Kinuso Rib Fest is in it’s fourth year as an annual summer kickoff event and fundraiser for children’s recreation activities.
104 people attended this year’s Rib Fest, says Nicole Churchill, director of the Kinuso Community Association. She says there were 16 cornhole teams that participated at the event.

The event is in its fourth year, and Churchill says her hope was to have a successful event that could continue annually.
Kinuso is a small community, Churchill says.

The association wanted to bring an event to the community during a time of year when there are not as many other community events taking place.

The association wanted Rib Fest to help kick off the summer, she says.
In previous years, Churchill says, Rib Fest has been held at the end of May.

This year, it was held in June to accommodate the Kinuso School graduation.

Churchill says another goal was to use the arena more during the off-season.

Proceeds from Rib Fest go toward children’s recreation activities, including skating, swimming, lessons and the ski trip, Churchill says.

The fundraiser also supports bus maintenance so children can be transported to those activities, she says.

“A lot of people don’t realize what the purpose is,” Churchill says.
The event is connected to the community association’s work supporting activities for children and youth in the area, she says.

The arena has natural ice, Churchill says, which limits the length of the skating season. Because of that, the association has looked for other ways to use the arena during the off-season, she says.
Off-season events and activities have included weekly cornhole and a roller rink, Churchill says.

The association has also used the space for pickleball and ball hockey, she says.

The association also holds weekly story time at the Central Slave Lake Agricultural Hall on Mondays at 10:30 a.m., Churchill says.

The association is also looking for new board members.
Churchill says people interested in becoming board members can contact the president of the association, Owen Saitz at 780-805-2477.

Churchill says she would like Rib Fest to continue each year as both a community event and a fundraiser.
The goal is to keep offering events that bring people together while helping support recreation opportunities for children, she says.