Rib Fest,,,Is It Worth The Spending?

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Perception Is The Reality": 
To "Something Fishy in Aurora "...
"When Clownclr Ballard compares Jazz fest to Ribfest he fails to take into account that the other event does not charge admission."

You're right, the Ribfest does not charge admissions. However, once you are in there what do you get for your $0? You get to smell food cooking, watch people eating and drinking, listen to some bad music played at high levels over an old PA system. So, you get what you pay for I guess. 
Let's be fair, the Ribfest is really a traveling road-show that most Ontario communities (and probably others) have over a period of time during the summer and fall months. It's the same group of "BBQers" at every stop. I'd be interested to see the books about how much it costs the Town to allow them in, how much the Town pays them.
That would be disclosure.
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Ribfest is a town sponsored event. I have the spread sheet for this year. Cost this year was $11,000.
Budget was  $30,000. Revenuewas $20,000. 
Thousands of people came during the three day event. 
They enjoyed food  they paid for which they apparently enjoyed  
becasue they return year after year. 
Children enjoyed the Midway. Adults enjoyed what I heard was excellent music. Rib and other vendors paid the town. 
On the down side I heard this year ,food vendors in town may just as well have kept  their doors closed .The impact of the Rib Fest was felt.
Rib Fest has become  an annual tradition.To some extent, I suppose it took the place of the Aurora Agricultural Fair.
We start budget discussions to-night. 
 Rib Fest, as an expenditure, can be re-visited. There's no secret about it.