I am very happy Riverbend has been pared down to a manageable size. Two years ago, travelling through the city was a challenge, to say the least. It wasn’t just during the festival; it was a week before and a week after. A month-long PITA for those uninterested in breathing the same fetid air 10,000 of your fellow unwashed companions just exhaled.
Riverbend started out as a local event. But as Friends of the Festival received more and more funding, the event became bigger and longer, to the point where the vast majority of marketing and attendance for the event fell outside of Chattanooga. Tickets (or pins) became astronomically expensive and there were simply too many drunks being over-served.
Now I read complaints that the musical artists don’t represent absolutely everyone. Tough noogies. You can’t please all the people all the time. Riverbend should remain small, if not smaller. With Bonnaroo just up the road, that should suffice for all your local needs for drugs, heat strokes and mosquito bites.
Keep Riverbend small.
Dave Fihn
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Mr. Fihn, your post is what our current issue is. Riverbend needs to have a variety of acts. Our city is diverse, as should the talent for the festival.
If they keep this up won’t be a event to be had. They need to get new members on the board or this tradition will be one that is out of here.
Christopher Cooper