This is actually in Canal Winchester now. From what I heard Pickerington wouldnt approve the Beer Garden. Honestly, nothing much has changed other than the location. You stand in horribly long lines for mediocre food at best. One thing I noticed is there is no sense of urgency to get you through the line. We stood for at least an hour with only like 15 people ahead of us(I think it was Soul Food) and my husbands pulled chicken sandwhich was all bones, fat and inedible. The only reason why we go is for the jazz that is always very good. My recommendation… eat before, go on a full stomach, and just take chairs to sit and listen to some really good eclectic jazz music.
Randy S.
Place rating: 4 Canal Winchester, OH
You’ve got to hand it to Pickerington for trying. Apart from the questionable connection between the city of Pickerington, jazz and ribs(and the blatant rip-off of the bigger Columbus Ribfest), the annual Pickerington Jazz & Blues Ribfest was darn cool. Quaint downtown Pickerington hosted this celebration of smoked meats on August 5. In addition to several food and craft vendors, the fest boasted about half a dozen groups of folks barbecuing up ribs for sale. Surprisingly, the stand run by Open Hands Ministry seemed to be the biggest hit. Live music played on two stages throughout the day, and there was a beer garden. As in years past, the festival was a family affair. There were plenty of diversions for kids. There were animals from the Columbus Zoo and lots of games. Aside from the copious amounts of ribs, the day-long party stayed in pretty familiar small town festival territory. The festival is usually held the first week of August each year. Check it out.
