A1A
Friends of the Festival announced that the Riverfront Nights series will be expanded in 2024, while the long-running Riverbend Festival will be placed "on pause."
Riverfront Nights will span “Fourteen Saturdays of Summer,” and will provide free music on Chattanooga’s scenic riverfront on Saturday evenings from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.
Guests will enjoy offerings from food trucks, more family activities, an expanded kids play area, activities, and music that has been attracting record-breaking crowds throughout the recently ended season.
Riverfront Nights will kick off its 17th season with a visit to Margaritaville on Chattanooga’s riverfront on Saturday, May 25, with A1A, the official and original Jimmy Buffett Tribute Band. The expanded show will feature special activities, beach swag, and of course, “Cheeseburgers in Paradise.” The show is expected to draw such a large crowd that plans are being made to close Riverfront Parkway for the evening and expand the food, drink and activities onto the Chattanooga Green.
“This is exactly what our fans have wanted for years,” said Friends of the Festival executive director Mickey McCamish. “Free music, great food and a place where friends, families and dogs can come together over the course of the summer is exactly what our guests indicated they wanted in the surveys we recently conducted. Not only are we giving them exactly what they wanted, we’re also encouraging them to bring their chairs and blankets each Saturday evening.”
He concluded, “We couldn’t do any of this without the continued and ongoing support from so many sponsors who’ve been with us a very long time. Not only are they supportive of our plan for 2024, they are embracing it as a way to continue to grow our audience. We’re humbled by their strong unwavering support.”
Friends of the Festival also noted that they will be putting Chattanooga’s original music festival, Riverbend Festival, on hiatus for the upcoming 2024 season. Organizers said, “Like other independently owned and operated music festivals across the nation that are going on a temporary pause, Riverbend is reevaluating and restructuring in order to be successful in the future.
"Riverbend has celebrated 40 amazing years and it will never go away; however, it’s time to go back to our roots - to music that is authentic to Chattanooga. We’re dedicated to our mission and the next time Riverbend’s gates open, audiences across all demographics will have music they can embrace and experiences they’ve come to expect.”
Friends of the Festival’s portfolio of events encompasses Four Bridges Arts Festival, the Crown Automotive Grateful Gobbler 5K Walk, Freedom Festival, Riverfront Nights, and Riverbend.
Officials said, "Friends of the Festival is also undergoing changes for the much-loved organization that will pay as much respect to the future as it does to the past. The organization will soon have a new logo and new presence on social media."
Mr. McCamish said, “While we’ve been known for Riverbend for the last 40 years, we are going to showcase our expertise and experience in providing highly successful events for the community. We’re proud to be the organization so many in the community trust with their creative needs. It’s something we don’t take lightly. We’re grateful for our many sponsors who support these changes and are looking forward to a great 2024 season.”
Organizers will be announcing additional shows in the coming weeks.