A few raindrops didn’t bother visitors to this year’s Ribs on the River Festival Saturday afternoon. Kids kept the slides busy on the inflatables, and visitors wanting to see the Floodwall Murals rode on the Life Ambulance train up and down Front Street.

“There are great things to do in downtown Portsmouth and it really is a center of activity,” said Zoe Richards, director of Main Street Portsmouth. Main Street and USEC partnered for this year’s second-annual event.

“We have a great group of volunteers this year. It’s a volunteer-driven event,” said Richards, who also said the event partnered with The Marsh House, who had sent volunteers, along with RSVP and the American Red Cross.

About 200 advance tickets were sold, she said.

Shannon Smith, director of special events for Life Ambulance, said Life was contacted last year by Richards about helping out with the Ribs on the River event, and they jumped in to help out.

“Life Ambulance likes to give back to the community as much as possible,” Smith said.

“This started nine years ago with the grill and with the bus,” Smith said. “We found a need in the

community that some people needed transportation because of lack of bus service. The grilling, we do for non-profit organizations, such as churches, nursing facilities, doctors’ offices … any non-profit organization.”

Smith said Life has added a new second-generation grill, increasing the number of grills to three. The train came about because Life wanted something to put in a parade.

“The owner had our fabrication shop make this,” Smith said, pointing to the train, which was loaded with passengers awaiting their turn to see the murals. “It’s got a diesel, turbo-charged engine, but we pretty much run it in low gear just for the people to see the murals.”

The Red Cross and United Way teamed up for this year’s Cornhole Tournament. The winner was Pair Shorts from Hillsboro, which included Delbert Short and Sean Short. They won first place and took home 25 percent of all the registration fees, plus they gained entry to the National Cornhole Championship in Evansville, Ind., as well as a two-night motel stay.

Doc Roc and the Remedies played music on Court Street and the cruise-in took place along Second Street in the Boneyfiddle District.

George Welty of Friendship brought his 1972 Chrysler Newport Royal. He said it has 42,700 miles — “All original other than one re-paint,” he said.

Larry Williams of Otway had a unique entry in the cruise-in. His 1954 Plymouth was made to look like the police car in the old television show “Car 54, Where Are You?”

“It’s a car that was bought here in Portsmouth and I had the idea of recreating a police car,” he said.

Williams has placed his name on the car, plus “Andis, Ohio,” which is in Lawrence County and that’s where he went to grade school, he said. He likes to crank up the sirens and lights for the kids.

Richards extended her thanks to all the sponsors for this year’s event.

DEBORAH DANIELS can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 234.