Where Can You Spend Under Fifty Dollars and Get Nine Days of Entertainment?

Thirty years ago Chattanooga, TN made a decision to try something new and held a festival called Riverbend on the banks of the Tennessee River. The event ran for five nights and provided entertainment from national known entertainers.



In 2011 Chattanooga celebrates 30 years of Riverbend. What started as a five day event now last 9 days, starting on a Friday night and ending the following Saturday. The event is held around the second week of June. Weather can be a challenge; current temperatures are running in the 90's making late evening thundershowers from the heat highly possible; but the weather has seldom shut the activities down completely.



The purchase of a thirty dollar Riverbend pin before the 10^th of June in 2011 gets you into the event all nine days. Where else can you spend thirty dollars for a concert ticket and get to see acts such as Hewie Lewis and the News, the Beach Boys, Alan Jackson and others on the main stage know as the Coke stage.



The festival now hosts five different stages for your entertainment please. While the Coke stage host the "big" events the other four stages provides tons of entertainment; from up and coming entertainers to groups that have been around for a while. Once of the best acts I have ever seen was the Blind Boys of Alabama on one of the side stages. Placing your lawn chair in the right place allows you to see the entertainment from one of the side stages, and then by simply turning your chair around you view the performers on the Coke stage. With over 10's of thousands attending on any one night viewing the entertainers on the main stage is made easy by the viewing of the show on large TV screens.



The food available for purchase at the festival is becoming as popular as the entertainment itself. Fresh lemonade, turkey legs, chicken on a stick, frog legs and many other items are available from the concession stands. Purchases for the food items must be made with Riverbend tokens which cost fifty cents each. You can not get a refund for any tokens you have left over but the good news is the tokens are good for the next year.



Parking is available at many of the different parking decks in downtown Chattanooga, Finley Stadium, or the Chattanooga Choo Choo. Shuttles, for a dollar per ride are available to take you to the entrance to the river park so you do not have to get hot and sweaty walking to the event. It is important that you park in authorized parking spaces; local towing companies are often seen towing many cars during the event.



The event offers a children's area for playing as well as other fun activities. The Chattanooga Times Free Press sponsors a stage where forty of the areas top talented children will perform to win a chance to perform on the main Coke stage on the final night of the festival.



The festival would not be complete without the Bessie Smith Strut. A blues singer from the early 1900's, Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, TN. Part of the festival finds the entertainment being held on MLK Blvd, and at the Bessie Smith Hall.

Riverbend Festival is packed full of entertainment each and every night. Visit www.riverbendfestival.com to find out much more that this event offers.





Source:www.riverbendfestival.com