The festival itself only had one proper stage, the barge in the river. Admission is given to people with special scannable wristbands, which can be purchased in southeast Tennessee and north Georgia in the weeks leading up to the festival for a discounted price or purchased at the gate for a regular price. In the mid-'80s, Riverbend hosted the Grand Prix Formula I powerboat racing series and then the Inboard Championship Series featuring inboard hydroplanes. Individual nights can see some 80,000 people in attendance. Paramore. Ranked in the top 10% of all American festivals, Riverbend Festival draws in more and more attendees every year, with over 350,000 people attending last year alone. Over the years, the festival has grown from five nights to nine nights of its current run. But the birth of Riverbend had plenty of labor pains. Established in 1982, the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a grandiose summer kick-off celebration with music, family-friendly attractions and delicious fried foods. U.S. Army Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division Band performed at the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, June 3, 2022. More than a hundred acts, both well-known and new, converge each year to perform various kinds of music, including classic rock, country, urban, and bluegrass, as well as jam bands, on three stages set alongside the Tennessee River. Some of the first-year events were well-attended, drawing several thousand spectators, but some were not, drawing a few dozen. More than a hundred acts, both well-known and new, converge each year to perform various kinds of music, including classic rock, country, urban, and bluegrass, as well as jam bands, on three stages set alongside the Tennessee River. We are proud of our long-standing history in downtown Chattanooga. With the $26,000 Lyndhurst planning grant in May 1981, we had brought in three national festival experts for our festival seminars held at the Chamber of Commerce, concluded with a planning and goal-setting session led by new UTC drama professor Fred Beringer. We invite you to join us each Sunday, in person or online, at 9:30 & 11:00AM. Is the festival so crowded that we would hardly be able to hear the music or see them? Breland says "it is a miracle the thing got started and has continued.". Anyone violating the regulations of the festival will be removed from the venue. I wish these local urban history records (or copies) were in Chattanooga, since they explain much about why Chattanooga is becoming what it is becoming. Having a Spoleto in Chattanooga was his ultimate goal, and he says his trip to Charleston is the true moment of conception for Riverbend. That changed after the Pointer Sister show in 1985. During those early discussions, however, it was decided that Chattanooga was not Charleston and the festival would not be another Spoleto. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. First Aid tents will be located throughout the venue. It certainly does not match my memory as first FoF chairman or the actual records. Also in 1981, after Five Nights, Lyndhurst provided a $26,000 grant that allowed a group of leaders, including Hetzler and Mayor Pat Rose, to attend Spoleto and fund some research seminars in Chattanooga that explored the idea of establishing a local festival. Opt for comfortable, warm weather clothing like jeans and t-shirts. Add this festival to your JamBase Calendar. Venue: Ross's Landing Tagged With Rock Tennessee USA Festivals 4-Day Fests. 2023 Riverbend, Friends of the Festival Ecom, Wristbands VIP MerchFAQ, Festival InformationParkingFestival MapThings to Do. "Probably the story of the blind men describing an elephant explains the reality, but there is a clear timeline.". Headline performers are featured nightly on the Coca-Cola Stage, a barge which has been converted into a full-size concert stage. text: "Promote your event", It is ranked among the top American music festivals and has earned several national awards. You'll need to wear an age verification wristband to purchase alcoholic beverages. Music festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States, International Festivals and Events Association. The Riverbend Festivals purpose was to bring the community together, and it began as a five-night festival in June of 1982. 8The Riverbend Festival, which was twice delayed and then restructured during the COVID-19 pandemic, will have to wait another year before returning June 2-5, 2022. Riverbend Festival Riverfront Nights Four Bridges Art Festival, About Us Our Work Contact Careers. Contrary to the official Riverbend history on their page, the 1981 Five Nights in Chattanooga had nothing to do with Riverbend except, in looking back, as a bad model, since the three ticketed summer acts in 1982 lost the fledgling festival about $100,000 under executive director Bruce Storey's leadership, based on comments from the first officers. Now, no one seems to know what happened at Riverbend's beginning or care very much, my fellow organizers tell me. Debra Frizzell. number: 3, The annual festival now goes on for eight nights and ranks in the top 10% of all American festivals. This was before the Aquarium, the North Shore redevelopment, the Southside and even Hamilton Place Mall. When you see news happening, share it! Several groups in town were searching for ways to move the city forward both artistically and from a civic standpoint, he says, and, in many ways, Riverbend became that vehicle, providing an opportunity for diverging groups with equally divergent agendas to work together for the greater goal. Much of this is in my 1990 Emory University dissertation on town festivals but the FoF management has not responded to these historical materials when offered. 2023 2022 2019 2018 2017 2016 2014 2013 2012 2011. With performances scheduled for the Coca-Cola, Bud Light and Chevrolet stages . Pord ujawnionych dat, znalazo si rwnie miejsce na 12 . Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Using 40+ years of experience, we lend our expertise, resources and partnerships to other organizations. Though it technically was centered on a fine-arts festival similar to Spoleto, it also provided a blueprint for Riverbend. In a partnership with local audio retailer Listen Up, CDs and playback equipment were shipped in from Japan. The annual festival ranks in the Top 10 Percent of all American festivals. The food scene in Chattanooga has exploded in recent years. We are proud to be Chattanooga's original, premier . If you're looking for a unique experience, you can take a water taxi or a boat to the park and enter the festival through a different gate. This was the first time 3rd IDs band played at the Riverbend Festival. They will be wearing special Event Staff t-shirts and official ID badges, so youll be able to identify them easily. In subsequent early years, the festival included boat/ski/jet ski races on the river during the day. Although Savage spent much of his later life in the Northeast, his formative years were spent in southwestern Montana, where the mountain West and his ranching family formed the setting for much of his work. Justin Smith, a guitarist assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division band, plays guitar at the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, June 3, 2022. Spalt is situated between Nuremberg, Ansbach, and Treuchtlingen in the north of the Franconian lakelands.In the southwest of the city is the Great Brombachsee and its dam. The new idea put more emphasis on music and vendors on the river. Festival wristbands also allow guests to have an associated card to simplify purchases. text: "Promote your event", }. But the first full Festival happened in August of 1982. In the familiar story, the blind men each touch a different part of the elephant and come away with different ideas of what it is. Download the News 12 News and Weather Apps on your smart phone or tablet device to receive breaking news and weather push notifications the minute it happens. Sign up for our e-newsletter for festival updates! Protect yourself from the harsh sun and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. [2] The attendance for Riverbend has grown over the years and there are now regularly over 650,000 people that come over the course of the festival from all over Tennessee, the Southeast, the United States, and other countries. }, Hetzler and Richard Brewer, who was partners with Storey in Variety Services, insist that an event called Five Nights in Chattanooga, which Variety produced in 1981 with a $150,000 grant from the Lyndhurst Foundation, had nothing to do with Riverbend. If you need assistance with anything, you can approach one of the volunteers. It was a moment that gave him the inspiration to make Riverbend work in the long haul. Friends of The Festival Inc. Friends of the Festival - Inc. Revenue. It showed that they would," says Mickey Robbins, an original member of the committee that Hetzler chaired. Storey also played a role in starting the Dorothy Patten Fine Arts Series, which showcases performing arts such as music, spoken word and theater. Although being unfortunately canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, event organizers have pushed through to ensure that this beloved occasion occurs . The new festival was a hit and has now lasted forty years and counting. discovery: { Saturday, July 30, 2022 Outlaw Music Festival 2022 featuring Willie Nelson, ZZ Top, Gov't Mule, Larkin Poe, and Particle Kid Doors Open: 4:00pm Show Time: 4:25pm Riverbend Music Center Artists Willie Nelson ZZ Top Gov't Mule Larkin Poe Particle Kid Important Health Update There Are No Health Entry Requirements For This Event. Sat 27 May 2023 Adjacent Music Festival 2-day Pass (May 27-28, 2023 Atlantic City, NJ, US. Over the years, it has grown in popularity, and currently, over 650,000 people join the celebrations annually from different parts of the country and the world. We celebrate community and we tell your stories. I've sent out a few emails and maybe an editor will catch it for a quick human interest side bar. 1 hits and four Grammys between 1972 and 1974, was the biggest name at the inaugural Riverbend. He would remember these sessions for about 30 interested citizens, which culminated with a BBQ, Beer, Bluejeans and Bach celebration (the essence of our original inclusive idea) at Sharon Mills' home to celebrate the beginning of a new kind of comprehensive festival for Chattanooga. We are proud of our long-standing history in downtown Chattanooga. More archival material is at the Chattanooga Public Library, including early programs and publicity. It started as a way to come together downtown to celebrate the community we all share. "On the day of the show, the Commodores' manager said they would have to be paid in cash," Breland says, something that was not readily on hand. The Commodores came to Engel Stadium in June and Rick Springfield played over the Fourth of July. Riverbend is more than a good show. All of that was vital to gaining key support for a major Chattanooga town festival. In some ways, figuring out who started Riverbend is like trying to definitively pinpoint who invented rock 'n' roll; you can name dozens of artists that could claim part of the title, yet each of those had their own influences in the past. An annual juried art show that attracts visual artists from across the country, and has been ranked in the top 30 fine art festivals in country. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It can get a bit chilly after sundown, so dress in layers or take a light jacket with you. The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library hosted events for kids, and a children's film festival was held at the old Kirkman High School. For Sid Hetzler, a former reporter, college professor and local business man, it's a pretty straight line from September 1980, when he visited Charleston, S.C., and attended the Spoleto Charleston Festival, until the first Riverbend. 423-785-1200 | news@wdef.com3300 Broad Street, Chattanooga TN 37408. Stream: Riverbend Festival ( Free Trial) Watch Riverbend Festival! And the idea for having it take place primarily at Ross's Landing also came later. Begun in 1982 the Riverbend Festival known locally as just Riverbend, is hugely popular. After doing their research, the committee submitted a document to Lyndhurst titled "Proposal for Funding to Establish a Chattanooga Festival." Riverbend Festival, named for the bend in the Tennessee River by locals, began in June of 1982 as a five-night festival in Chattanooga to bring the community together. "It's complicated, of course, but I did live through it," he says in a recent email. The festival went to wristbands last year, though it offered a collectible pin, as well. Wed love to hear from you. Headline performers are featured nightly on the Coca-Cola Stage, a barge which has been converted into a full-size concert stage. We live, work and play right here in the Tennessee Valley. $75.00 - $115.00. Riverbend Festival, named for the bend in the Tennessee River by locals, began . (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Launched in 1982, Friends of the Festival is a non-profit organization that was created to attract sponsors, promote, set up, and produce Riverbend Festival, Chattanooga's first and original music festival held in the heart of downtown on the banks of the Tennessee River. The Friends of the Festival Board of Directors met Monday and decided to put the community's largest festival first produced in 1982 on hold for another year. Additionally, Riverbend has won . A wide varietyof performers covering almost every music genreentertain the crowd on our three stages set along the backdrop of the Tennessee River at Rosss Landing, also known as the Scenic Citys front porch. As of June 1982, "Riverbend", affectionately named after the curve in the Tennessee River, has been a riveting music event ranking in the top 10% of festivals in the country. A free summertime music series that attracts wide-ranging audiences to the riverfront. Well see you at the festival! The official Riverbend history web page really should be more accurate in my opinion as it leaves out the visionary, hard working "heroes" of the early Riverbends. Storey is largely credited with pushing Riverbend in the direction it eventually went, including the type of musical programming still going today. Admission is given to people with special scannable wristbands, which can be purchased in southeast Tennessee and north Georgia in the weeks leading up to the festival for a discounted price or purchased at the gate for a regular price. During the multiple-day engagement, revelers can enjoy performances by over 80 regional and nationally touring musical acts in the realms of country, rock, pop and soul. Riverbend Festival, named for the bend in the Tennessee River by locals, began in June of 1982 as a five-night festival in Chattanooga to bring the community together. Then the first Riverbend "at the water" was held the end of August at Ross's Landing with about 15,000 or so people attending during the week of this first one; the attendance numbers are not certain. 08-24-1982 Riverbend Festival 1,477 views Apr 15, 2011 3 Dislike Share Save wrcbarchive 14 subscribers Highlights of the first Riverbend Festival, including interviews with performers,. The big names in 1987 were Chicago, The Spinners, The Judds, who actually opened for Reba McEntire on the Coca-Cola Stage, Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger together, and Willie Nelson. Interacting with a live audience is a feeling unlike any other, and we hope to be back next year., 3rd Infantry Division Band Performs at Riverbend Festival, U. S. Army Sgt. But there were other artistic events linked to the festival like an old time fiddlers convention, a brass trio launched in a hot air balloon and an arts festival at Miller Park. Hotels/Motels close to Riverbend Festival are shown below ordered by distance (closest first). The Riverbend Festival is a music event that takes place in Chattanooga, Tennessee every year. There are convenience stores in the vicinity, where you can pick up any essentials you need. Richard Brewer said he came to the first Riverbend Festival in 1982. Jun. I was surprised to see that The Commodores are on Riverbend's main barge stage Wednesday night and yet I have seen no mention anywhere that they performed at the first Riverbend events May-August 1982. "I was at church the next morning at 8:30.". Onsite camping on the grounds will not be permitted. The duo recently won 'Best Vocals Duo' from the 2021 Country Music Association. The Riverbend Festival. The Friends of the Festival. We did our homework. Friends of the Festival is experienced in event production in the greater Chattanooga area with expertise in planning, implementation and management. When it comes to food, you'll find much more than the usual festival fare at the Riverbend Festival. Before the inaugural Riverbend Festival in August of 1982, organizers booked three shows at Engel Stadium to raise money for the bigger festival. We are the most trusted source for local news. We provide a full spectrum of logistical services and consultation tailored to meet specific event planning needs. "(Riverbend) succeeded by changing," Moore says. Popular Searches. This won us a $26,000 planning grant, larger than another foundation test grant for a Chamber of Commerce weekend downtown festival similar to past limited efforts by the Allied Arts organization. Thomas Savage (19152003) was one of the intermountain West's best novelists. After returning from his trip to Spoleto, Hetzler hosted a brainstorming session at his house and eventually chaired a group that would later hire Bruce Storey, who died earlier this month, and his newly formed events-producing company, Variety Services, to run the new festival. [3] Admission was previously given to people who had collectible Riverbend Pins. 423-785-1200 | news@wdef.com3300 Broad Street, Chattanooga TN 37408. The first ever Riverbend Festival took place in 1982 as a five-day event. 201 Riverfront Pkwy, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA USA Get Directions Featured Hotels in Chattanooga More Hotels 38 Followers Connect, Meet and Build a Strong Network Related Events More Events Around Chattanooga Chattanooga All Events Trade Shows Consumer Fair Trade Shows Consumer Fair Events in USA Events in Chattanooga Festival was a hit and has earned several national awards of course, some... Implementation and management so dress in layers or take a Light jacket with you where can... 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