City of Oshawa Statement on Oshawa Rotary Ribfest

For 25 years, the City of Oshawa has been proud to support the Oshawa Rotary Ribfest, Durham Region’s longest‑running ribfest.

Ribfest is one of Oshawa’s signature community events, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year. Over the past 25 years, the event has raised nearly $1 million, with proceeds reinvested directly into our community through local charities and not‑for‑profit organizations.

The City greatly values the positive impacts of Ribfest and our long‑standing partnership with the Rotary Club of Oshawa. We have supported the event’s growth and success over many years by providing in‑kind services and working closely with Rotary to help them deliver a successful and popular annual event (including approval for a 2026 Community Grant in the amount of $30,000 for in‑kind services).

The Rotary Club of Oshawa has advised the City and residents that, in light of the current economic climate – rising operational costs, economic pressures, and sponsorship challenges associated with hosting large‑scale community events – it has made the difficult decision to pause the event in 2026.

While the City is disappointed that Ribfest will not take place this year, we respect the Rotary Club of Oshawa’s decision and look forward to continuing to work together to support the event’s anticipated return in the future.

We thank the Rotary Club of Oshawa, along with its dedicated Rotarians, volunteers and sponsors, for their decades of service to our community. We value our continued partnership and look forward to welcoming Oshawa Rotary Ribfest back to our city.