Friends of the Festival, the umbrella organization for Riverbend Festival, Riverfront Nights, and other local events, said the rebranded, retooled festival was "a resounding success."
Festival organizers said, "Attention paid to limiting the number of wristbands and reducing the size of the venue, along with listening to what past festival goers wanted, led to three days on the river that was enjoyed by everyone."
“We focused on what was important to our audience,” said Mickey McCamish executive director of Friends of the Festival. “By example, our guests wanted us to focus on ways to limit trash on site and to provide stations for water bottle refills. By providing water stations, we saved more than 15,000 water bottles from entering the landfill.”
Mr.
McCamish said that offering 15,000 wristbands plus additional one-day wristbands also worked well for the festival. Approximately 14,700 guests were scanned for festival entry on Friday, 15,700 on Saturday and 16,100 for the festival’s last day.
"This kept the crowds manageable and the venue comfortably populated," he said.
Officials said, "The popularity of Riverbend has also positioned it as being much more than a local festival. Wristband purchases were made by guests in 44 states and six foreign countries. Out-of-town travelers made finding rooms in downtown hotels throughout the weekend extremely difficult with many hotels noting they were sold out for the period.
"This year’s festival featured a diverse array of food offerings plus a marketplace for guests to pick up artisanal products. Twenty-two vendors provided everything from hot dogs and noodles to Henna tattoos, and even axe throwing for guests to enjoy. Friends of the Festival also provided a new take on offering merchandise to mark the weekend. Festival t-shirts, branded water bottles, canvas totes, and other items featuring the new brand, lineup, and various designs flew off the shelves with many of the items running out as the weekend ended.
"With new placements for the stages and the long-held barge stage literally down the river, guests were able to have up-close experiences with performers. The limitation of VIP wristbands also provided stress-free enjoyment at various areas within the festival."