Ty Pennington Gears Up for Ribfest Grill and Greet This Weekend

TV personality and Sears spokesperson Ty Pennington will be heating things up at Ribfest when he fires up the grill on Saturday afternoon.

Attendees can meet Pennington and get a chance to cook with him at the Sears "Grilling is Happiness" tent where grilling demonstrations will be taking place from noon to 6 p.m.

Earlier: 

Pennington said Ribfest is a not only a celebration of grilling and cooking, but also a great way to bring community as well as family together. 

"For someone like me who is working a lot of days out of the year, it's those moments of hanging out with your family and just kicking back and grilling, those are the moments that you cherish and those are the moments that are the most fun," he said at a Ribfest kick-off event Friday night at . 

Pennington will join television host and author George Hirsch, “Grill Grrrl” Robyn Lindars, and “Burnin’ Love BBQ” chef Perry Perkins on Saturday as they demonstrate their favorite dishes, which will include healthy meals and BBQ classics.

And, of course, there will also be plenty of musical acts performing on Saturday including rock 'n roll hall of famer Joe Walsh, who headlines the Ribfest Navistar Stage at 8 p.m.

"I'm so glad that they've invited me. My job sort takes me a lot of different places, but now i can be involved here at a cool event in Naperville and to be able to hear music and hang out, have fun and interact with people as well," Pennington said. "I think it's going to be fun and I'm really excited to be a part of it."

For more information, including how to purchase Ribfest tickets, visit the Ribfest website. Tickets will not be sold at Jewel. They must be purchased online or at the gate. 

The 25th Annual Ribfest is be held June 29-July 3 in . Money raised at the event is distributed to more than 50 local agencies that are working to eliminate child abuse and domestic violence.