The scent of delicious, smoky ribs filled the air, mixing with the beats of the live musicians to make a day of perfection.

Over 20,000 fans attended the three-day Rhythm and Ribs event at Raley field Sept. 24-26 to enjoy great ribs, musicians and craft vendors.

Competition was fierce for “ribbers” who fought for more than $5,000 in prize money with the best ribs they could cook up. Outlaw BBQ from Pleasant Hill took home the big prize while festival-goers consumed over 15,000 pounds of ribs at the event.

The professional and award-winning “ribbers” included two local rib teams — Joshua’s Ribs and the West Sacramento Elks Club, who joined eight teams from throughout the west. Although the local teams didn’t win a prize, they represented Sacramento the best they could.

“The ribs are perfect,” said Tim Sparks, festival attendee. “I’m taking some of the sauce home with me.”

“The Outlaw ribs are freaking awesome. I really liked the Maui Wowie sauce. It was spicy and tasty,” Cuauhtemoc Reyna said. “The Outlaw sauce was just too hot. I wanted to savor the ribs not lose my tongue.”

Although the ribs were the stars of this festival, the musical acts added to the atmosphere.

Local favorites, such as Mumbo Gumbo, Mick Martin and The Cheeseballs were all on hand to provide entertainment for the throngs of rib-lovers.

“Mick Martin put on a great show,” Groscup said. “We had lots of great cover bands and people enjoy that.”

Those who missed Rhythm and Ribs can see Mumbo Gumbo on Nov. 20 at the Powerhouse Pub in Folsom. Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers will be performing on Oct. 1 at the new Blues Bar at the Marriott Hotel on Folsom Boulevard on various days.

A children’s area was included in the event and kept rib-lover’s youngsters busy. The organizers of the event wanted Rhythm and Ribs to have a family atmosphere.

“Rhythm and Ribs was a huge accomplishment because of lots of people’s hard work,” Groscup said. “This has become a staple in the community. The community has shown that this is popular and well-liked.”

Although the “ribbers” won’t be giving away their recipes anytime soon, www.foodgeeks.com has some recipes suggestions for everyone who could use some help.