Though it technically was centered on a fine-arts festival similar to Spoleto, it also provided a blueprint for Riverbend. And when looking at how it all came together, you also see the inner workings of the city's artistic, civic and business leaders, getting a glimpse at the creation of the "Chattanooga Way" -- the spirit of cooperation that current civic leaders still like to reference. 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. Event Details. "Part of Bruce's genius was getting Walker involved," says Robbins. Patrick Jacob, a percussionist assigned to the 3rd IDs band. November 30, 2014 at 1:00 a.m. While the list of original goals for the as-yet-nebulous festival included things like "economic benefit," "people to downtown," "civic publicity," "civic pride" and "artistic quality," which the committee defined as featuring big names and local showcases in any creative area, the committee was looking for an event to showcase fine arts at various locations around town. Jason Isbell's another "festival goer's festival" artist, and indeed in the audience before his show I met many first-time Riverbend goers, but long time festival veterans, who came from . Your email address will not be published. Jun 5, 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. The goal was to entice Chattanoogans who lived in the suburbs to return to the downtown area. Each first aid station will also have accessible restrooms, which are reserved for patrons with disabilities. "We had chamber music and choral music and orchestral music," he says, "but we also had mountain music. It is likely to get pretty crowded, so carry a rain poncho so you can avoid waiting in a long line to purchase one. "(Riverbend) succeeded by changing," Moore says. With performances scheduled for the Coca-Cola, Bud Light and Chevrolet stages . You can choose to attend a single day of the Riverbend Festival or all four days. } Instead, it should focus on what was already here, Breland says. }, Your email address will not be published. In fact, it's not even a single line, but a series of separate lines that eventually merged into one. 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. Since Chattanooga is located along the Tennessee River, you can also enjoy outdoor activities like fishing and boating or go on scenic hikes. Riverbend ignited civic pride, stimulated business and civic leaders to rethink downtown, and showcased the arts. Music lovers enjoy performances from three stages set along the backdrop of the Tennessee River at Ross's Landing on Riverfront Parkway . Breland also recalls riding up and down the Tennessee River in a boat with singer/songwriter Roberta Flack following her performance on the fifth night of the then six-night festival. Chattanoogas original music festival is turning 39 in 2022. Over the years, the festival grew into the nine nights of its current run and presently ranks in the top 10 percent of all American festivals. To provide seed money for the larger festival, Lyndhurst provided $150,000 for three concerts at Engel Stadium, one each in May, June and July of 1982 and headlined by Rick Springfield, The Commodores and The Beach Boys. If you'd like to take a blanket and stretch out near the main stage, you'll need to purchase a pass to access the blanket seating area. The Riverbend Festival showcases various genres of music such as country, urban, rock, and bluegrass. category_id: null, [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. Personally I've always been proud to have helped put the festival energy in motion starting in 1980, sad that it changed its character and mission after the first few exciting years, but glad it has continued in some form after a difficult start and challenging situations. category_id: null, 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. Fri 24 Mar 2023 Ultra Music Festival 2023 Miami, FL, US. We are the most trusted source for local news. Several local acts, including Overland and the Chattanooga Choo Choo Barbershop Chorus took the stage. Country duo Brothers Osborne will kick off the festival on June 3. Over the years, the festival grew into the three nights of its current run and presently ranks in the top 10 percent of all American festivals. Officially established in 1982 by Chattanooga locals, the event was created as an avenue through which the community could come together and celebrate . map: false, Festival wristbands also allow guests to have an associated card to simplify purchases. It started as a way to come together downtown to celebrate the community we all share. Green Day. Raw video clips. partner_name: "WDEF", Held along Chattanooga's new and vibrant 21st Century Waterfront, the festival draws such headliners as Foreigner, The Band Perry, and the Goo Goo Dolls. Music is my favorite form of communication; no matter the age, race, language people can always relate with one another through music, said Spc. detail_page_enabled: true, We had Jazz legend Count Basie, Soul hitmaker Roberta Flack, Bluegrass & traditional musician John Hartford and gospel singer Andre Couch. Riverbend Festival June 2-4, 2023 | Ross's Landing WRISTBANDS ON SALE 12/2 celebrating 40 years of riverbend Festival We are proud of our long-standing history in downtown Chattanooga. The Riverbend Festival, also called Riverbend, is a well-known annual music festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which was started in June 1982 as a five-night festival. Music truly enriches the human experience.. "Probably the story of the blind men describing an elephant explains the reality, but there is a clear timeline.". Each has their own memories and interpretations of the series of events that led to the creation of an event heading into its 33rd year. 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. 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, Georgia and Alabama. Crowds were so large for the concert, the fence was removed for safety reasons and the entire Riverbend site has been closed to vehicle traffic since. When you see news happening, share it! The Lyndhurst's Riverbend archives make it clear Mr. Jack Lupton saw the Five Nights project as a one-time experiment but wanted the foundation out of the concert business with its potential for liability lawsuits and that a "citizen's group should be found.". Mobile App|Weather App | WDEF Email Sign Up. submission: { James Motz, a vocalist assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division band, sings at the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, June 3, 2022. The Beach Boys on Memorial Day Weekend, The Commodores in June & Rick Springfield on the Fourth of July weekend. When Riverbend began, it was not the same Ross's Landing that's now part of the multi-million dollar 21st Century Waterfront. There are several RV parks located 10 to 20 miles away from Chattanooga. The Riverbend Festival, also called Riverbend, is a well-known annual music festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which was started in June 1982 as a five-night festival. Copyright 2023, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Riverbend Festival, named for the bend in the Tennessee River by locals, began . Tips to grow your RV rental business. 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, Chattanoogas first and original music festival held in the heart of downtown on the banks of the Tennessee River. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}350318N 851934W / 35.055N 85.326W / 35.055; -85.326. | System Trade Analysis Tools. Begun in 1982 the Riverbend Festival known locally as just Riverbend, is hugely popular. Jacob added that, as the band, they are the bridge between civilians and the military, sometimes being the only military members some people get to meet. This was before the Aquarium, the North Shore redevelopment, the Southside and even Hamilton Place Mall. 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. Headline performers are featured nightly on the Coca-Cola Stage, a barge which has been converted into a full-size concert stage. A: True B: False. Riverbend Festival 1986 Setlists Jun 13 1986 Date Friday, June 13, 1986 - Sunday, June 22, 1986 Venue Ross's Landing, Chattanooga, TN, USA Report festival So far there are setlists of 14 gigs. Breland says it was Storey who personally asked him to be the festival's first president. Alejandro Bertorelli, a bass guitarist from the 3rd Infantry Division band, performs at the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, June 3, 2022. When Walker Breland thinks back to the very first Riverbend Festival in August 1982, he remembers first going to people like Scotty Probasco, president at American National Bank, and Carey. 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. Riverbend Music Festival Tour Dates This awesome event was started in June 1982 as a five night festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee. King Blvd downtown), 2007 also debuted Riverbend's first ever classical recital featuring pianist, This page was last edited on 6 June 2022, at 11:58. 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 are proud to be Chattanooga's original, premier . (U.S. Army photo by Spc. 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. The plan came out of a recommendation by a consultant from New York who was hired to find a way to bring people to a downtown that, at the time, rolled up the sidewalks after 6 p.m. Five Nights lost money, but proved a point to some people, especially those concerned by deteriorating race relations in the city. The Riverbend Festival is a music event that takes place in Chattanooga, Tennessee every year. Find tickets online today using Songkick Downtown businesses such as the Brass Register, the Gazebo, Dr. Sage's and Scrappy's -- all now closed -- were listed on festival programs as places to go after the music at Ross's Landing. 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. 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. General Admission passes, Club Passes, and VIP passes go on sale a few months before the event. } } We are proud of our long-standing history in downtown Chattanooga. Attorney Hugh Moore, who joined the Riverbend board in 1983, called the music festival's creation "an organic progression.". Using 40+ years of experience, we lend our expertise, resources and partnerships to other organizations. 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. Chattanooga is situated along the Georgia border in the southeast part of Tennessee. Music festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States, International Festivals and Events Association, Pollstar Concert Listing for Chattanooga, TN, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Riverbend_Festival&oldid=1091791846, Tourist attractions in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Monday, June 9- The Bessie Smith Strut (blues/jazz along M.L. text: "Promote your event", They will be staffed with trained professionals and festival volunteers. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. Thank you! The more your referral link gets used, the more money youll start earning. CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) During the 35th edition of the Riverbend Festival, weve been taking you back to the very first one in 1982. Paramore. Five Nights was held at the intersection of what is now M.L. Traffic is not usually a problem in the downtown area, but you can expect it to be quite hectic on the days of the event. Opt for comfortable, warm weather clothing like jeans and t-shirts. Justin Smith, a guitarist assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division band, plays guitar at the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, June 3, 2022. The Beach Boys on Memorial Day Weekend, The Commodores in June & Rick Springfield on the Fourth of July weekend. When you see news happening, share it! Storey is largely credited with pushing Riverbend in the direction it eventually went, including the type of musical programming still going today. The organization celebrated that accomplishment this past weekend at the annual Riverbend Festival. Protect yourself from the harsh sun and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. The festival boasts seven stages, with more than 100 performers. Children under the age of five can enjoy the festival for free as long as they are with a ticket holding adult. I am wanting to come in from ATL and I don't. 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