Hundreds of LaBelle area residents gathered in Barron Park on Saturday, Jan. 8, for the Smoke Under the Oaks Ribfest, sponsored by the LaBelle Downtown Revitalization Corporation.

Rib tickets were $3 each (or 10 for $29) and for each five rib tickets, participants were given one red People’s Choice voting ticket. Twenty-five rib boosts offered a variety of cooking styles and spices. Event judges had the difficult job of choosing winners in other categories.

For those not in the mood for ribs, pulled pork and barbecue chicken dinners were available.

Visitors enjoyed beautiful weather, plenty of shade under the ancient oaks, live entertainment by The Walker Experience, a bounce house, corn hole games and arts and crafts booths.

LaBelle High School sponsored the Fire Truck Pull-Ooza, with 12-person teams competing for the best time at pulling a firetruck on the street along the Caloosahatchee River.

Smoke Under the Oaks event sponsors included Riverside Real Estate, Inc., Blue Ribbon Homebuilders, Suncoast Beverage, U.S. Sugar, Circle C Farms, Caloosa Custon Cabinets LLC, Rocket Cooling, The Rentz Law Firm PLLC, the City of LaBelle and Hendry County Tourism.