The return of Riverbend this year “is a return to some level of normalcy,” Mickey McCamish, executive director of Friends of the Festival, told the Chattanooga Beer Board on Thursday morning. He said Riverbend has been rebuilding with false starts and stops and now a step forward is being taken by holding the festival for the 39th year. And there will be a lot of changes, he said.
The event will be shorter and smaller.
It will take place on three days in June. And the foot print will be smaller. The layout will span Riverfront Parkway from Chestnut Street to the Olgiati Bridge. The barge is gone, he said, and the Coke Stage will be on the Chattanooga Green and the Bud Light Stage will be under the bridge. There will be eight stationary bars and five rolling carts selling beer. A special events beer license for the event was unanimously approved on Thursday morning.
Taking into account negative comments about the huge crowds that were heard from the public, organizers of the festival are trying to give people more room and will limit attendance to a maximum of 15,000 each night, although city officials estimate the area could hold as many as 35,000, said Mr. McCamish.
The music festival will be on Friday June 3, from 4-10 p.m. and on Saturday, June 4, and Sunday, June 5, from 3-11 p.m.
Another way that families can celebrate summer in downtown Chattanooga is at Music & Movies in Miller, 928 Market St. in Miller Park. These special events organized by River City Music will take place throughout the summer starting Saturday, May 28, and on June 4 and 11, July 9, 16, 23 and 30 and Aug. 6. On those Saturdays, from 4-11 p.m. each night, there will be live music, games, art vendors and food trucks followed by a family friendly movie at dusk. Licensed bartenders will be in charge of selling beer and will be wrist banding people to identify if they are the legal age to buy alcohol. Chattanooga Police will provide security and will monitor the perimeter of the park to make sure no beer leaves the area.
At the Beer Board meeting on Thursday, there was a single application for a beer license. It came from Ace Food Market, 2100 E. Main St. A change of ownership at the existing business caused the need for a new license to sell beer at this small grocery store., which was approved.
At the last beer board meeting, the hearing was postponed for a violation that occurred at The Signal because the business denied entrance to police because they had guns. On March 5 the attorney for the Signal was unable to be at the meeting, and was give a continuance until May 19. Today, two deputies from the Sheriff’s Office were unable to attend the meeting causing he hearing to be passed to the Beer Board meeting on June 2.