From June 10 to 18, the Riverbend Festival will celebrate its 30th year as the biggest party in town by bringing more than 100 artists, entertainers and performers to downtown Chattanooga. Nationally known artists Huey Lewis and the News, the Beach Boys, The Machine, John Lee Hooker, Jr., Casting Crowns, Miranda Lambert, Brian McKnight, Allen Jackson and Kellie Pickler will each headline their own night of the festival. Local bands like WTM Blues Band and The Beaters will join other artists from across the nation to perform on side stages.
Up and down Riverfront Parkway, there will be things to do and see from when the gates open at 4:30 p.m. to when they close late into the night.
Pins are available until June 9 at area Kangaroo locations, and then will be available at all gates.
Chip Baker is the executive director of the non-profit, Friends of the Festival, which operates Riverbend, Riverfront Nights, the Chattanooga Classic and manages the waterfront for the city. After 17 years in healthcare as a hospital administrator, including time with the Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, he transitioned to event management and has been with Friends of the Festival for 12 years.
It was about the time that Baker joined Friends of the Festival when they started a new format in selecting the entertainment by bringing in program directors from the major radio stations and significant community members to help with the selection process.
Each September, they start meeting and begin by reviewing what happened during the previous year by stage, by night, what worked, and what didn’t to do a full analysis. Then they immediately shift into next year’s lineup. Once the suggestions of which artists are available for the budget and location are made, talent coordinator Dixie Fuller researches the artists before making an offer and negotiating with them until the final price and conditions are agreed upon.
Baker says, “We do that with 100 bands, and try to finish by the end of February, and then go into production in late March. It’s like running a little 5 million dollar business. We are a non-profit, but my favorite adage is ‘No money, no mission,’ and so even though you are a non-profit, you have to make a profit to stay in business.”
This year, the Wheelmobile will be among the mobile exhibits at the festival, looking for contestants for the game show “Wheel of Fortune.” Timberworks Lumberjjack Show will
be under the Olgiati Bridge Tues-day, Wednesday and Thursday of the festival to compete in Speed Saw, Log Rolling, Pole Climbing and Saw Sculpting activities. Next to them will be the mobile Nintendo exhibit, Army Strong Zone, Great American Country and the Navy with multiple Navy Week activities.
A whole new national amusement company is coming that will provide the best rides for kids and emphasizes Riverbend as an all ages kind of festival, Baker says. The marketplace is returning to the festival with all kinds of things people can buy, from jewelry to artwork, pottery and more.
Baker says a favorite attraction of his is the huge sand sculpture near the Tennessee Valley Credit Union Stage called Riverbend Beach, returning this year with an interactive area where children can play in the sand. Street performers such as Mike Edwards, New Binkley Bros, John & Michelle, The Mudd Brothers, and Chattanooga Pipe Band will perform throughout the festival as well.
“It’s really something going on all the time, not the least of which is 100 different bands that are new every year,” Baker says.
The BlueCross Riverbend Run & Walk and Bend on the Run, where Riverbend heads to the Southside and Central Business District, will also be featured during the festival.
“Green Affair” returns to the festival this year. This program and its recycling efforts with Riverbend led to the festival being awarded Best Environmental Program by International Festivals and Events Association in 2009. More than 300 Green Team volunteers will be manning the recycling stations located throughout the festival and the Green Tent will be on hand this year.
The Eat and Greet Program, where fans can meet bands, eat with them and say hello, is returning as well with a full list of dates and times on the Riverbend Program Guide. The Bend Unplugged program will allow bands to connect with their audience on a more educational level.
These two programs are an attempt to drive customers to the local businesses surrounding the festival, and Riverbend Rewards drives business throughout the year for those who sign up for this program and the discounts it offers.
For more information on how to buy Riverbend pins for entrance to the festival and to download an online version of the program guide, visit www.riverbendfestival.com or call 423-756-2211.