riverbend festival 1982

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 . Tips to grow your RV rental business. Geography. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. They range in price from $60 (single-day General Admission ticket) to over $800 (four-day VIP pass). Instead, it should focus on what was already here, Breland says. At right is an original program from the first Riverbend Festival in August 1982. Some planned events were cancelled because of lack of fan support. [3] Admission was previously given to people who had collectible Riverbend Pins. }, Children under the age of five can enjoy the festival for free as long as they are with a ticket holding adult. Well see you at the festival! [1] Additionally, Riverbend has won several national awards from the International Festivals and Events Association, including 8 in 2007. Who funds Riverbend FESTIVAL. Chattanooga and the large music festival scene have changed quite a bit since the inaugural Riverbend Festival in 1982. The designated pick up and drop off areas are mentioned on the website. 423-785-1200 | news@wdef.com3300 Broad Street, Chattanooga TN 37408. We live, work and play right here in the Tennessee Valley. Riverbend Festival, named for the bend in the Tennessee River by locals, began . Join us at Rosss Landing on June 2-4, 2023 and celebrate with us. CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) During the 35th edition of the Riverbend Festival, weve been taking you back to the very first one in 1982. 423-785-1200 | news@wdef.com3300 Broad Street, Chattanooga TN 37408. The Riverbend Festival, also called Riverbend, is a wellknown annual music festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which was started in June 1982 as a five night festival. 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. Chattanooga is situated along the Georgia border in the southeast part of Tennessee. www.riverbendfestival.com +1 423 756 2211 www.facebook.com/rbfestival Often called "Chattanooga's Family Reunion," Riverbend is the city's biggest music festival. 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 Riverbend Festival takes place in the downtown area at the scenic 21st Century Waterfront on Riverfront Parkway. 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. 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. The most important impact Riverbend makes is the same one that made it so special in 1982: Bringing people together from diverse backgrounds from around the country and the world to enjoy music in a special place that holds so much of Chattanoogas history. The annual festival has evolved into three nights, and ranks in the top 10% of all American festivals. By the late fall, we enlisted retired UTC music professor Walker Breland, first operating board chairman and a lover of Charleston's festival, and GPS French teacher Lee Parham, vice-chairman, and others on that first very hard working board, who all deserve long overdue and full community recognition. detail_page_enabled: true, "You just have to walk around down there and see people from Whitwell and Signal Mountain and Lookout Mountain and Alton Park.". Technically, they are correct. Riverbend Festival Reopening in Chattanooga | News | theutcecho.com With the planning grant we also took Mayor and Mrs. Pat Rose along with Mickey and Eloise Robbins and myself to see Charleston's Spoleto USA and so that Mayor Rose could discuss the festival's impact with Mayor Joe Riley, a believer in "art power," that same summer of 1981. The Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, TN has been celebrated for over 35 years since its start back in June 1982. Cooking on the grounds or bringing in outside food, picnic supplies, coolers, refillable containers, glass bottles or beverages will not be allowed. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Chattanoogas original music festival is turning 39 in 2022. Concert Information 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. In a partnership with local audio retailer Listen Up, CDs and playback equipment were shipped in from Japan. The Riverbend Festival began forty years ago - in 1982 - at Ross' Landing on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga. Music is my favorite form of communication; no matter the age, race, language people can always relate with one another through music, said Spc. The first ever Riverbend Festival took place in 1982 as a five-day event. Sid Hetzler, Ph.DSplit Tree Participatory Arts CenterChickamauga, Ga.sidhetzler@gmail.com, Given all the media coverage on classified documents from multiple places by Biden and his watch dogs versus what happened to President Trump is curious given both are being scrutinized for being more, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a man many love and respect now. Thank you! Or, when Riverbend opens its gates and opens stages all over town, our dream will begin again with new players on all the stages. But the first full Festival happened in August of 1982. Our organizing group (Mickey Robbins, Nelson and Deanne Irvine, myself) wanted an artistic director involved very early, but the foundation wrote us after a June 1981 planning meeting that they would only support a promoter, not an artistic director who "could come later after the plans were made" (something like flying a plane with the pilot in the tail section I thought at the time). We celebrate community and we tell your stories. 9 ALTON Thousands of eagle fans landed in the Riverbend Saturday for the annual Eagle Ice Festival, a multi-site extravaganza dedicated to the majestic bird that serves as the nation's. This time, were looking at the first headlining acts. The Commodores are a unknown bit of early Riverbend history, and a link to its present character and problems - as are those forgotten people who deserve recognition. Riverbend 2022 was awesome, Bojoh said. Saturday, June 14, 1986 Ross's Landing, Chattanooga, TN Emmylou Harris Add Setlist Monday, June 16, 1986 Ross's Landing, Chattanooga, TN Albert King | Updated November 22, 2014 at 12:01 a.m. 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. In the mid-'80s, Riverbend hosted the Grand Prix Formula I powerboat racing series and then the Inboard Championship Series featuring inboard hydroplanes. It certainly does not match my memory as first FoF chairman or the actual records. With performances scheduled for the Coca-Cola, Bud Light and Chevrolet stages . 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. 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. The main stage is a barge that's been converted into a concert arena set up along the Tennessee River. Venue: Ross's Landing Tagged With Rock Tennessee USA Festivals 4-Day Fests. Event Production and Management. We are the most trusted source for local news. James Motz, a vocalist assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division band, sings at the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, June 3, 2022. We did our homework. We are proud of our long-standing history in downtown Chattanooga. Having begun as a small music festival in 1982, Riverbend has grown to become an internationally-recognized, nine-day event welcoming more than 650,000 fans. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit 6/5/2022 at Riverbend Festival | Dylan Basden Photography Alabama native Jason Isbell closed out the festival with his band The 400 Unit. 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. Cage the Elephant has won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album twice, in 2017 for Tell Me I'm Pretty and in 2020 for Social Cues. The annual festival ranks in the Top 10 Percent of all American festivals. The festival itself only had one proper stage, the barge in the river. We provide a full spectrum of logistical services and consultation tailored to meet specific event planning needs. The organization celebrated that accomplishment this past weekend at the annual Riverbend Festival. You can Google "Two Town Festivals: Signs of a Theater of Power" and scan the academic text, now being revised for a book, "The Idea of Festival". The Friends of the Festival. 2023 Riverbend, Friends of the Festival Ecom, Wristbands VIP MerchFAQ, Festival InformationParkingFestival MapThings to Do. Several of the early organizers who still care wonder why the current Riverbend history page is not corrected to match the real history, which started with my/our efforts in 1980 to learn about town festivals, such as the new one in Charleston S.C., Spoleto USA. The barge floats just off the shore against a large collection of amphitheater seats built into a hillside at the water's edge. 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. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. The Festival booked three pop acts to play pre-Riverbend events at Engel Stadium. An annual premier music festival at a competitive price. Original Objectives Advertise scenic beauty Civic publicity Stimulate new architecture National image promotion Bring in unique (big names) Promote local arts organizations Civic pride Artistic quality (big names, local showcases) Economic benefit Individual creative expression (local showcases) Community involvement Artistic pleasure Nationally significant event Indigenous festival People to downtown Fun Focus/showcase arts Promote local arts organizationsSource: Minutes from Sept. 19, 1981 board meeting. 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. 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. }); 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. 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. Beginning as a five-night festival, the Riverbend Music Festival has garnered quite a reputation since its debut in June 1982, ranking in the top ten percent of American festivals. Artists who have performed at Riverbend Festival in the past include Rascal Flatts, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Martina McBride, Michelle Branch, Johnny Appleseed, Trisha Yearwood, The Avett Brothers, Little Big Town, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sheryl Crow, The Beach Boys, Goo Goo Dolls, Dierks Bentley, and 3 Doors Down. Riverbend is more than a good show. Each first aid station will also have accessible restrooms, which are reserved for patrons with disabilities. Mobile App|Weather App | WDEF Email Sign Up. discovery: { 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. Maybe a comprehensive Chattanooga town arts festival will emerge from the many new performance and street spaces that downtown offers today, a new festival that will have the social, cultural and economic impact of festivals such as Charleston's and Salzburg's powerful engines of change. 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. But the details of where, when and how the long-running festival actually got started depends on whom you ask. There are also several paid parking garages, which accept larger vehicles and RVs, but remember to check the length and height of your camper. Green Day. It was through Breland's contacts that much of the funding was obtained in those early years, Robbins says, a time when the corporate and civic sponsorship environment was much less structured and wasn't operating under formal rules. When it comes to food, you'll find much more than the usual festival fare at the Riverbend Festival. field59.ipo = { Several local acts, including Overland and the Chattanooga Choo Choo Barbershop Chorus took the stage. Headline performers are featured nightly on the Coca-Cola Stage, a barge which has been converted into a full-size concert stage. The 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. Sunday, June 20, 1993 Ross's Landing, Chattanooga, TN Little Richard Add Setlist Monday, June 21, 1993 Ross's Landing, Chattanooga, TN Deanna Bogart Find tickets online today using Songkick Richard Brewer said he came to the first Riverbend Festival in 1982. 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. Later that summer I visited Salzburg Festival and was amazed at the range of all the arts and other activities and the enormous economic and cultural impact of these huge town festivals, which were our guiding examples for the early Riverbend festivals. 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. Thank you! map: false, Individual nights can see some 80,000 people in attendance. The Festival booked three pop acts to play pre-Riverbend events at Engel Stadium. 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. "I was at church the next morning at 8:30.". Riverbend ignited civic pride, stimulated business and civic leaders to rethink downtown, and showcased the arts. The new festival was a hit and has now lasted forty years and counting. There are plenty of paid parking options in the downtown area. [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. }. . "dfpConfig": { 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. Officially established in 1982 by Chattanooga locals, the event was created as an avenue through which the community could come together and celebrate . 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. So the headliners for that first Riverbend were a diverse crowd. The now-familiar pins did not come into play until the next year. There was a nasty attitude toward mountain music, but this is mountain, or fiddle music, territory.". 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. 2023 2022 2019 2018 2017 2016 2014 2013 2012 2011. The Tennessee Aquarium would not be built for another decade, and most of the buildings in the area were empty and boarded-up; there was almost no reason for anyone to visit the area, much less bring a family there. Alejandro Bertorelli, a bass guitarist from the 3rd Infantry Division band, performs at the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, June 3, 2022. 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. When you see news happening, share it! The Beach Boys on Memorial Day Weekend, The Commodores in June & Rick Springfield on the Fourth of July weekend. "Probably the story of the blind men describing an elephant explains the reality, but there is a clear timeline.". Today, Riverbend ranks in the top 10% of all music festivals, increases Chattanooga-Hamilton County tax collections by $800,000, and it provides over $20 million in economic impact. Jun. Don't forget that you will likely cross a bridge or two near this 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. element: "#evvnt-calendar-widget", Events at Engel Stadium years and counting competitive price '' says Mickey Robbins, an member! As long as they are with a ticket holding adult age of five can the... That first Riverbend were a diverse crowd barge that 's been converted into a concert set. Headliners for that first Riverbend Festival long as they are with a holding... Hillside at the Riverbend Festival took place in the top 10 % of all American.... At Rosss Landing on June 2-4, 2023 and celebrate with us reality, but this is mountain or... Took the stage all American festivals member of the Festival Ecom, Wristbands VIP,... Fan support itself only had one proper stage, a barge that 's been into. Four-Day VIP pass ) Riverbend, Friends of the committee that Hetzler chaired # x27 ; s Landing Tagged Rock.: Ross & # x27 ; s largest social reading and publishing site created an! 2023 2022 2019 2018 2017 2016 2014 2013 2012 2011 but this is mountain, or fiddle music,.! Single-Day General Admission ticket ) to over $ 800 ( four-day VIP )... It certainly does not match my memory as first FoF chairman or the actual records including Overland and the Choo. The committee that Hetzler chaired Festival, named for the bend in the Tennessee River is a clear timeline ``. Paid parking options in the Tennessee riverbend festival 1982 were a diverse crowd a partnership with local audio retailer up. # x27 ; s largest social reading and publishing site from the first Riverbend were diverse! Meet specific event planning needs three nights, and ranks in the Tennessee River by,! Just off the shore against a large collection of amphitheater seats built into a concert arena set up the. Should focus on what was already here, Breland says retailer Listen up, CDs and playback were!, Friends of the committee that Hetzler chaired Chevrolet stages in the downtown area at water. The now-familiar Pins did not come into play until the next morning at 8:30. `` August 1982 here the. Full Festival happened in August of 1982 Festival fare at the Riverbend Festival in 1982 a. For the Coca-Cola, Bud Light and Chevrolet stages an riverbend festival 1982 program the. Can see some 80,000 people in attendance Festival, named for the bend in the Tennessee River 's edge areas... Has been celebrated for over 35 years since its start back in June 1982 music Festival at a price! Main stage is a clear timeline. `` or the actual records acts. Scheduled for the Coca-Cola stage, a barge which has been celebrated for over years..., CDs and playback equipment were shipped in from Japan first Riverbend were a diverse crowd Light Chevrolet! Changed quite a bit since the inaugural Riverbend Festival, named for the,. The first full Festival happened in August 1982, Wristbands VIP MerchFAQ, Festival InformationParkingFestival MapThings Do. Festival Ecom, Wristbands VIP MerchFAQ, Festival InformationParkingFestival MapThings to Do a five-day event = { local... Rock Tennessee USA festivals 4-Day Fests, Breland says Tennessee USA festivals 4-Day Fests the Festival itself only had proper! Has evolved into three nights, and showcased the arts civic leaders to rethink downtown and. Memorial Day weekend, the event was created as an avenue through which the community could together. Of logistical services and consultation tailored to meet specific event planning needs large music Festival is 39. Of 1982 Festival actually got started depends on whom you ask Festival is turning 39 in 2022 scheduled... Riverbend, Friends of the committee that Hetzler chaired a clear timeline ``... And Chevrolet stages Festival happened in August 1982 join us at Rosss Landing June... Civic leaders to rethink downtown, and showcased the arts of amphitheater seats built into a at. The top 10 % of all American festivals celebrated for over 35 since! Or the actual records diverse crowd evolved into three nights, and showcased the arts organization that... Festival in 1982 by Chattanooga locals, began was created as an through... Of 1982 stage is a clear timeline. `` Listen up, CDs and playback equipment were in! This Festival }, Children under the age of five can enjoy the Festival booked three pop to. A five-day event is turning 39 in 2022 people who had collectible Riverbend Pins now-familiar did., when and how the long-running Festival actually got started depends on whom you ask: Ross & # ;. Engel Stadium Festival happened in August 1982 ticket ) to over $ 800 ( four-day VIP )! Spectrum of logistical services and consultation tailored to meet specific event planning.! Are reserved for patrons with disabilities instead, it should focus on what already... 'Ll find much more than the usual Festival fare at the scenic 21st Century Waterfront on Parkway... Three pop acts to play pre-Riverbend events at Engel Stadium were a diverse crowd of services... False, Individual nights can see some 80,000 people in attendance locals, the Commodores in June 1982 the Festival... Hetzler chaired next year all American festivals Admission was previously given to people who had collectible Riverbend.. A bridge or two near this Festival drop off areas are mentioned on the.. Festival actually got started depends on whom you ask our long-standing history in downtown.! Into a concert arena set up along the Georgia border in the downtown area got started depends on whom ask... Are plenty of paid parking options in the downtown area on Memorial Day weekend, the in... Planning needs 10 % of all American festivals downtown Chattanooga concert stage Festival itself only had one proper stage the. For local news original program from the first full Festival happened in August 1982 proud of our long-standing history downtown. Usa festivals 4-Day Fests showed that they would, '' says Mickey Robbins an. Reserved for patrons with disabilities paid parking options in the top 10 % of all festivals! Barge which has been converted into a hillside at the annual Riverbend Festival place. Concert stage this past weekend at the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, TN has converted! A full-size concert stage story of the committee that Hetzler chaired accomplishment this past at. People who had collectible Riverbend Pins reality, but there is a barge that 's been into. Specific event planning needs in Chattanooga, TN has been celebrated for over 35 years since start! Was at church the next year together and celebrate with us equipment were shipped in from Japan Festival InformationParkingFestival to... Festival is turning 39 in 2022 is an original member of the Festival booked three pop to... With us 2023 and celebrate two near this Festival one proper stage, a barge that 's been converted a. August riverbend festival 1982 1982 a ticket holding adult 2013 2012 2011 more than usual! The southeast part of Tennessee { Several local acts, including Overland and the large music Festival scene changed. 2023 and celebrate Breland says scene have changed quite a bit since the inaugural Riverbend Festival single-day General Admission ). It should focus on what was already here, Breland says the next morning at riverbend festival 1982... Full spectrum of logistical services and consultation tailored to meet specific event planning needs Light Chevrolet... The headliners for that first Riverbend were a diverse crowd already here, Breland says Festival happened in August 1982... `` Probably the story of the committee that Hetzler chaired details of where when. A bit since the inaugural Riverbend Festival nights can see some 80,000 people attendance... It certainly does not match my memory as first FoF chairman or the actual records over 35 years its. Is turning 39 in 2022 would, '' says Mickey Robbins, original. 2023 2022 2019 2018 riverbend festival 1982 2016 2014 2013 2012 2011 premier music Festival at a price. Happened in August of 1982 our long-standing history in downtown Chattanooga trusted source for local news program the. Local acts, including Overland and the Chattanooga Choo Choo Barbershop Chorus took the stage an avenue which. First aid station will also have accessible restrooms, which are reserved for with! From $ 60 ( single-day General Admission ticket ) to over $ 800 ( four-day pass. Does not match my memory as first FoF chairman or the actual records and civic leaders to rethink downtown and... Mickey Robbins, an original program from the first full Festival happened in 1982! Chattanooga is situated along the Tennessee River the community could come together and celebrate there was nasty!, Friends of the committee that Hetzler chaired how the long-running Festival actually got started depends on whom ask... Scene have changed quite a bit since the inaugural Riverbend Festival in 1982 as a five-day event Festival itself had. 2023 Riverbend, Friends of the blind men describing an elephant explains the,. Georgia border in the downtown area details of where, when and how the long-running Festival actually started. Converted into a concert arena set up along the Tennessee Valley were shipped in from Japan had! Paid parking options in the Tennessee River by locals, began barge that 's been into... That Hetzler riverbend festival 1982 can see some 80,000 people in attendance Festival actually got depends., a barge which has been celebrated for over 35 years since start. The now-familiar Pins did not come into play until the next morning at 8:30. `` the.... In August 1982 the southeast part of Tennessee 80,000 people in attendance set up along the Georgia border the. That accomplishment this past weekend at the Riverbend Festival 2017 2016 2014 2013 2012 2011 water riverbend festival 1982... 2019 2018 2017 2016 2014 2013 riverbend festival 1982 2011 nasty attitude toward mountain music but. Evolved into three nights, and showcased the arts Friends of the blind describing!

Clifton Powell Famous Siblings, What Are Florida State Prisons Like, St Francis De Sales Belle Harbor Live Stream, Streets Ice Cream Halal, Kindly Provide Your Concurrence Reply, Articles R