Riverbend Starts Friday
This is one of my favorite articles to write all year. It means that Riverbend is upon us. Each year, I publish this Riverbend Survival Kit to help guide you through one of the largest and oldest music festivals in the United States. Print it out if you like. Share it with your friends that may be going to Riverbend this year for the first time. Even if you are going for the 33nd time, there are big changes you may need to know about. Enjoy, and see you at Riverbend!
Riverbend went to wristbands for admission this year, instead of the pin, which was used from the beginning of time. They still have pins, but they are commemorative collector pins only and are not good for admission! The 8-day wristband is removable, so you don’t have to wear it all week at work, or even when going for your colonoscopy. It has a barcode on it, and MUST be scanned when coming in to the festival AND when you depart the festival grounds before 10 p.m., if you plan on entering again that night. So, if you come at 6 p.m., then decide to hop outside for a quick dinner downtown, and you plan on returning for the 9 p.m. show – you must get scanned on the way in and out of the festival grounds. If you come to the festival and leave after ten o’clock, you dot NOT need to be scanned when leaving. If you come to the festival and leave before 10 p.m. and are absolutely sure you are not coming back that night, you will NOT need to be scanned when leaving. The barcode resets each day, so if you are leaving for the evening and not planning to return the same evening, you do not need to have the wristband scanned. The single day wristbands, available only at the gates, do NOT get scanned.
If you buy your wristbands before 11:59 p.m. on June 5, they are just $35 at any Chattanooga area Kangaroo Store. If you go all eight nights, that comes to about $4.38 per night. After June 6th, the pins will run $50.00 at the gate – still a steal of a deal at just $6.25 per night. Children aged 10 and under are admitted free. According to Pollstar, the average ticket price to just the eight Coke Stage acts total $314.05. You can see all of them, plus dozens more artists for just $35 at Riverbend. One-day passes are available at the gate for $26 or $15 for Senior Citizens, Military, and first responders. The best deal is the wristband. It is theoretically possible to buy a $35 wristband and go three nights and split the cost with a friend who could go on the other nights. On Tuesday night, faith and family night, wristbands are just $5 for everyone over 10.
The Bessie Smith Strut on Monday Night is a separate event from Riverbend, but the festival helps out down there with the performers, stages, and sound. This year, the folks that manage the Strut have set the price at $7, if you buy before June 6. If you wait to buy your admission at the gate, it will run $10, unless you have a Riverbend wristband on, then it will still be $7. Tokens are not accepted at the Strut. Come hungry, as there is some great food there! The Strut is a great bargain and a wonderful tradition.
The first thing you must do is get to the festival. The best way to get to Riverbend is to park down by the Choo-Choo or Findley Stadium and take the shuttle bus for a buck a ride. Why fight the traffic - sit back and meet fellow festivalgoers while others ride around and around looking for a parking space. You can ride the bus, be back to your car, be out of the traffic flow, and eating at the Waffle House before most folks get out of the parking lot downtown. Park at Finley Stadium – it’s the easiest.
Creative parkers who think the grass is a parking space, or park on the median, or in the fast lane of the freeway will find their car at an impound lot down the road a bit. You will be able to retrieve it in exchange for a first-born child or a kidney. All unclaimed cars that are towed become my property the next day and will be for sale at Bob’s Used Cars. I recommend parking at Finley Stadium, and riding the $1 shuttle bus right to Riverbend. Wherever you park, don’t leave valuables in plain sight and lock your car. The same thieves that rob cars in movie theater parking lots or at the mall parking lot are also downtown during big events.
Parking for disabled persons is provided at the parking lot in front of the Tennessee Aquarium adjacent to the Main Gate on Chestnut and Aquarium Way (2nd Street). Viewing areas are reserved at ground level at each stage, and restroom facilities for the handicapped are available at each First Aid location.
Once you get your wristbands, the gates open at 5:00 P.M. each day. The main gate is at 2nd and Chestnut beside the Aquarium. You can also enter up by Marina, off of Riverfront Parkway near the Olgiati Bridge. There is a gate up by the Unum Stage near the Hunter Art Museum and one at the downtown end of the Walnut Street Bridge. There is a gate at the entrance to the Passage between the Aquarium and Market Street, too.
You can bring lawn chairs, folding chairs and blankets, but may not leave them overnight. You CANNOT bring backpacks, coolers, refillable containers, laser pointers, camcorders, pets, bicycles, skateboards, roller-blades, outside food or beverages, microwave ovens, brass knuckles, pressure cookers, machetes, pistols, machine guns, grenades, bazookas or any other weapons. They will search your bags, so don’t try to bring things you are not supposed to. If you act like a fool at Riverbend, you will find out that there really are Chattanooga Police officers and Hamilton County Deputies working inside the festival grounds. You may get a free set of bracelets and a one-way ride to the crossbar motel if you misbehave. A secret to dealing with security and the police at Riverbend is to just be nice and courteous to them.
Service animals are of course welcome at Riverbend and the staff has been attending training to help them with the rules that go along with service animals. A service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Service animals are working animals, not pets. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. If you need assistance or have a question involving your service animal, please ask to speak to a staff member or supervisor – they will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
All blankets and chairs must be removed from the grounds each evening. Each night after Riverbend, the staff will “sweep” the area and remove all remaining chairs and blankets. I hope to have them for sale the next day at Bob’s used lawn chair and blanket store just down the way from the main gate and the aforementioned Bob’s Used Cars.
Want a Coke or a Chicken-on-a-stick? Funnelcakes? Beer? Well, your money isn’t any good at Riverbend. That’s not to say everything is free – it just means you have to buy tokens to use for your purchases. Tokens cost fifty cents each at the festival. Buy a few rolls and save a trip to the token booth each night. They are good next year if you don’t use them all.
If you want to partake of alcoholic beverages – bring your ID! Even Grandma and Grandpa will need their ID’s. Everyone that plans to purchase alcoholic beverages MUST have an ID showing they are 21 or over. Riverbend prices their food & beverages similar to or less than other entertainment venues. In fact, at last check, they were cheaper for beer, cokes, and hot dogs than all of the Major League Baseball parks and most movie theaters. ATM machines are located by token booths throughout the festival grounds.
There is a “Lost Parents Tent” for those children who lose their parental units. This is located at the main gate on Aquarium Way (2nd St) and Chestnut Street. There are plenty of volunteers in marked T-Shirts and Police officers to assist people when needed. Speaking of volunteers, Riverbend’s are the BEST. Many have returned each year for decades. If you need something, look for a volunteer in an official t-shirt and ask. They will help you.
There are five stages at Riverbend. The Coke Stage is the big stage that looks like an aircraft carrier with an umbrella over it. That is where you will see Gary Allan, Widespread Panic, Buddy Guy, TobyMac, Boston, Justin Moore, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and Young The Giant. For an easy to read line-up, go to http://riverbendfestival.com/schedule. The VW Stage sits directly across from the Coca-Cola Stage on “The Green”. The Bud Light Stage is down the road one block from the front of the Coke Stage, going west. You will know it you are going west, as the sun will be setting in that direction. If you walk with the sun to your back, the TVFCU Stage and the Unum Stage are up the hill. If the sun isn’t out, then look at the compass on your cell phone. If you don’t have a cell phone or the sun isn’t out, then I can’t help you.
My favorite stages are the smaller ones, scattered throughout Riverbend. This is where you may find your “new favorite band.” You will find a description of the bands playing, along with a link to their websites at www.riverbendfestival.com. Just click on “line-up”. If you dislike crowds, think about entering up by the Hunter Museum and hanging out at the stages up on that end (The Unum Stage & The TVFCU Stage). One of the coolest stages is the one under the bridge about 200 feet down the hill from the Hunter Museum. With terraced seating and ceiling fans suspended from the overhead bridge, the Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union Stage (TVFCU) is a great place to get out of the sun and heat.
Speaking of the heat, here is a tip. Prior to arriving at Riverbend, try drinking plenty of water, maybe a gallon or two. Bottled water is available at the festival, as are some free water stations scattered about the grounds at the first aid locations. Hamilton County Emergency Services provide the first aid assistance at the festival, so you are in good hands.
While you are on the internet, try going to http://riverbendfestival.com/riverbend-rewards and sign up for free. You get discounts at area merchants for the next 4 months!
Riverbend Festival has a mobile app that's easy to use. Check it out for all you need including festival updates. Text FEST to 28748. Wait for the reply and click on the link to download to your home screen. Then bookmark it or put the icon on your phone.
If you want to come by boat, make sure you have a wristband on you when you dock at the Walnut Street pier dock. Boaters can hang around in the water behind the Coke Stage for free. I like boats, so if you have a big fancy yacht and want to invite me aboard, feel free! (My contact info is at the bottom of this article) Speaking of water, if it rains, the show goes on. It’s very rare to have a show cancelled or postponed, and is usually for lightning storms or high winds. And, please remember that it may be pouring cats and dogs at your house in Dalton or Hixson, yet the sun may still be shining on Riverbend. That’s just the way our little summer storms work.
If you want a great view of the Coke Stage and want to feel like a VIP, consider buying a Club Riverbend membership. Not only do you get access to the pier for a great level view of the Coke Stage, you also get members only restroom access, VIP parking pass, a nice cash bar and some hors d’oeuvres. Give them a call at 423-756-2211 for more info.
Bring a blanket and stretch out on the lawn in front of the Coke Stage for just $10 per person, with your admission wristband. Admission is available by the Blanket Seating Area.
Basically, everywhere at the festival is non-smoking, except for those seven areas that are designated for smoking. Be a courteous smoker and use the designated areas, as they are very convenient to everything.
The Family Zone is located at the corner of Chestnut Street & Riverfront Parkway, near the steps that lead to the river. No smoking or alcohol is allowed in the family zone.
Here is a cooling thought – a good place to meet some Riverbend artists is at “Eat and Greets” and “Riverbend Unplugged”. Scattered throughout town during the festival week, you can go have some lunch or a cold beverage and hear some tunes from some fine artists before they play Riverbend. It’s a great time to get autographs, too. Here is the link http://riverbendfestival.com/outreach.
A great way to enjoy Riverbend is to join Club Hunter at the Hunter Museum. Club Hunter offers exclusive access to the Hunter Museum during the two Riverbend weekends; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 6 - 8 and Friday and Saturday, June 13 - 14 from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. On these days, Club Hunter members will enjoy live video and sound feed from the Coca-Cola and Bud Light Stages, use of the Hunter’s air-conditioned facilities and exclusive, reserved seating on the Hunter Terrace for the festival’s fireworks finale on June 14. Check it out at http://www.huntermuseum.org/hunter-museum-events/2014/6/6/club-hunter?view=calendar.
One of my favorite things at Riverbend is the beach. Yep, I said it – the beach. Up the hill from the Coke Stage, towards the Hunter Art Museum, you will find a big pile of sand. Sculptors will transform that pile into the doggone coolest designs you have ever seen. It’s worth a trip just to see it each day as it progresses. Take your camera!
Watch for Riverbend’s roving performers. They have musicians, balloon animal surgeons, magicians, and all sorts of fun for the crowd, located throughout the festival. These folks are darn talented and always entertain the crowds.
One more thingy - Why not save someones life while visiting Riverbend? Stop by the Blood Assurance Tent near the main gate and sign up to donate blood. They will assist you to find a convenient time and place to donate. They have some cool giveaways and someone you know may just have their life saved by your kindness.
The BlueCross Riverbend Run & Walk has been moved to the first Saturday morning of Riverbend – June 7th. This event offers competitive and non-competitive 5K & 10K runs, a 5K walk, and a 1-mile run/walk. This year features a new course. The race also includes live music by the Power Players, concessions, and family activities. For more info, click http://www.riverbendfestival.com/runwalk.
There is music for everybody at Riverbend – Jam Bands, Country, Folk, Hard Rock, Soft Rock, Blues, Classic Rock, Jazz, Classical, Christian, and Americana. Riverbend has music for all tastes. Try something new, as you may just like it! Also, don’t forget the local acts that are playing Riverbend this year. These artists put on their best shows, with the finest equipment and sound technicians to assist them. You may hear an act that you will want to go see over and over again. Plus, if you feel the compelling desire to come meet me and maybe give me money for writing such a helpful article, you can often find me watching our great local artists perform.
Don’t forget fireworks night at Riverbend. (Saturday, June 15) It is truly one of the best fireworks displays you will ever see. Watch for the waterfall! Stay tuned for my Riverbend picks, more information and tips. I will be covering all eight nights at Riverbend and The Chattanoogan.com is your go-to place for all the festival news. Check here often and spread the word.
See you there!
Email Bob Payne at davrik2000@yahoo.com or www.facebook.com/davrik2000.
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