Yum! Ribfest runs Thursday through Sunday

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Summertime is festival time in Fort Wayne.

And a popular one starts today and runs through Sunday.

Photos: Ribfest 2012

The 15th Annual Ribfest kicked off at Headwaters Park Thursday and runs through the weekend brining mouth-watering ribs and barbecue and live entertainment to downtown Fort Wayne.

The scheduled vendors for 2012 include: Desperado's, Carolina Rib King, Jack on the Bone, Cowboys BBQ and Rib Company, Big Boned BBQ, Timmy's BBQ, Texas Pit BBQ, and Shig's in Pit.

The list of entertainment starts at noon Thursday and runs until 11 p.m. On Friday, bands perform between 11:45 a.m. and midnight. Saturday, music is on-stage between 2 p.m. and midnight. And Sunday, performances run from noon until 10 p.m.

Admission to Ribfest is FREE every day until 5:30 p.m. and FREE all day Sunday. Otherwise, it's $8 for adults (13 and over), $6 for seniors, and $4 for students, military, police, and firefighters with valid I.D.

The festival attracts about 40,000 people every year and was voted one of the top ten rib festivals in the country by Martha Stewart Magazine in 2009, according to the festivals website.

National Award Winning BBQ vendors and live blues music has been one of Fort Wayne's most popular festivals.