Riverbend Festival - Chattanooga

#1
IBlvNTmWrk

IBlvNTmWrk

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#1
Wife and I are planning on going to the Riverbend Festival later this month and was hoping I could get some good information/advice from anyone who has been. We're also trying to decide on renting a condo real close to the event and possibly walking (.7 miles) or getting a cabin somewhere on the river and doing some kayaking one day.

How difficult is parking and getting to the event?
Are the main shows (Coke stage) standing only or is it wise to bring lawn chairs and/or a blanket?
How early before the show would we need to get there for a good spot?
Best general advice for enjoying a day at the festival?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.
 
#3
#3
IBlvNTmWrk said:
Wife and I are planning on going to the Riverbend Festival later this month and was hoping I could get some good information/advice from anyone who has been. We're also trying to decide on renting a condo real close to the event and possibly walking (.7 miles) or getting a cabin somewhere on the river and doing some kayaking one day.

How difficult is parking and getting to the event?
Are the main shows (Coke stage) standing only or is it wise to bring lawn chairs and/or a blanket?
How early before the show would we need to get there for a good spot?
Best general advice for enjoying a day at the festival?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Incredible people-watching experience. It's only a 4-day event this year (used to be a week) and they appear to have upped the relevance of the acts they're bringing this year. It's typically been washed-up acts or people nobody has ever heard of. I'm not a huge fan of Riverbend or music festivals generally, but I've lived in Chattanooga my entire life so I'm very familiar with it.

Parking is not exceptionally difficult, but be prepared to walk. There's a ton of pay parking downtown, back from the river where everything will be blocked off. I think you can park at the Choo-Choo and ride a shuttle to and from. Coke stage - bring lawn chairs and set it up well before the show.

About - Riverbend Festival
 
#4
#4
05_never_again said:
Parking is not exceptionally difficult, but be prepared to walk. There's a ton of pay parking downtown, back from the river where everything will be blocked off. I think you can park at the Choo-Choo and ride a shuttle to and from. Coke stage - bring lawn chairs and set it up well before the show.

About - Riverbend Festival
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. I had read about the festival but did not think to check the FAQ's.

The bold above is exactly what I was hoping to do. Plan on seeing Keith Urban Friday night but didn't know if they'd allow you to set up a couple of chairs ahead of time to hold a spot. Below is all I could find out from the website. It looks like in addition to your admission cost, you have to pay an additional $20 to reserve a spot to place a blanket.

Yes, bring a blanket and stretch out on the lawn in front of the Coca Cola Stage for only $20 a person (each night) with your Riverbend admission. Wristbands area available at the blanket seating entrance.
Click to expand...
 
#5
#5
Good
05_never_again said:
Incredible people-watching experience. It's only a 4-day event this year (used to be a week) and they appear to have upped the relevance of the acts they're bringing this year. It's typically been washed-up acts or people nobody has ever heard of. I'm not a huge fan of Riverbend or music festivals generally, but I've lived in Chattanooga my entire life so I'm very familiar with it.

Parking is not exceptionally difficult, but be prepared to walk. There's a ton of pay parking downtown, back from the river where everything will be blocked off. I think you can park at the Choo-Choo and ride a shuttle to and from. Coke stage - bring lawn chairs and set it up well before the show.

About - Riverbend Festival
Click to expand...
good to know Keith Urban is washed up.
 
#6
#6
IBlvNTmWrk said:
Thanks for the link. I had read about the festival but did not think to check the FAQ's.

The bold above is exactly what I was hoping to do. Plan on seeing Keith Urban Friday night but didn't know if they'd allow you to set up a couple of chairs ahead of time to hold a spot. Below is all I could find out from the website. It looks like in addition to your admission cost, you have to pay an additional $20 to reserve a spot to place a blanket.
Click to expand...
Didn't know they charged to lay out a blanket - stupid. Wonder if they charge to sit a chair out too. You'd be further back, but wouldn't have to spend an additional $20.
 
#8
#8
Roustabout said:
Good

good to know Keith Urban is washed up.
Click to expand...

05_never_again said:
I said typically it has been washed up acts, and that they have upped the relevance of acts they're bringing this year.
Click to expand...

I've seen Keith once before at the Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, and that's mostly why we're going. I enjoy his songs, music skills (his and the band), and like the way he relates with the audience.
 
#9
#9
You may want to check to see if there are any spaces left on the pier that overlooks the Coke stage. They charge a premium for it, but you can bring your chairs and leave them there. Also, the pier has its own bar, porta-potties, and on occasion some snacks, etc. that makes for a much nicer experience. It has been a few years since I went this route, so verify what they are now offering.
 
#10
#10
LVvol said:
You may want to check to see if there are any spaces left on the pier that overlooks the Coke stage. They charge a premium for it, but you can bring your chairs and leave them there. Also, the pier has its own bar, porta-potties, and on occasion some snacks, etc. that makes for a much nicer experience. It has been a few years since I went this route, so verify what they are now offering.
Click to expand...
That's a great tip... will definitely look into it.

Thanks.
 
#16
#16
A semi bad festival previously was made even worse this year.

It's the worst main stage setup you'll ever see at a concert. Be prepared to pay to get anywhere close to the stage, if it's even possible now. You're most likely paying to sit on a lawn and watch a big TV of the stage so far away you can't see it.

At least their stupid token system seems to be a thing of the past now.

Sad to see how this thing ended up this year. I've seen some good acts there. And it's not always a sh*tshow. Sometimes they have some really good food trucks.

Despite all that, when we do make it down there, we have a good time. You'll enjoy yourself. I usually just pay to park a couple blocks from the gate at one of the hotels.

In the past, the section at the top of the hill at the main stage (soundboard area) is for chairs. (More details: last year, you could not stand on the grass on the side of the road closest to the stage. Grass was chairs only. We had to stand on the concrete, road, or further back.) If you get there early, you can set up and camp there. It's the best spot to sit and possibly see the stage. They don't let people stand in that section. Of course, they've made a lot of changes this year. This might not be true any more.
 
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#17
#17
DrRosenRosen said:
A semi bad festival previously was made even worse this year.

It's the worst main stage setup you'll ever see at a concert. Be prepared to pay to get anywhere close to the stage, if it's even possible now. You're most likely paying to sit on a lawn and watch a big TV of the stage so far away you can't see it.

At least their stupid token system seems to be a thing of the past now.

Sad to see how this thing ended up this year. I've seen some good acts there. And it's not always a sh*tshow. Sometimes they have some really good food trucks.

Despite all that, when we do make it down there, we have a good time. You'll enjoy yourself. I usually just pay to park a couple blocks from the gate at one of the hotels.

In the past, the section at the top of the hill at the main stage (soundboard area) is for chairs. If you get there early, you can camp there. It's the best spot to sit and possibly see the stage. They don't let people stand in that section. Of course, they've made a lot of changes this year. This might not be true any more.
Click to expand...
Thanks Doc. It's not what I was hoping to hear, but it is the kind of information I was looking for. I appreciate the details.
 
#18
#18
Add a bit more above to help out. Chairs at the soundboard are your best bet (unless you buy the upgrade club/whatever tickets I've never quite understood). Good luck. You'll have fun. It's live music. Can't beat it.

If you're there when Taz Niederauer or Larkin Poe are playing, do not miss either. Both great stuff.
 
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#19
#19
DrRosenRosen said:
Add a bit more above to help out. Chairs at the soundboard are your best bet. Good luck. You'll have fun. It's live music. Can't beat it.
Click to expand...
Nobody goes to Riverbend for a concert experience. They go to hear good music, in a beautiful setting, and enjoy it with thousands of people who come out to do the same.
 
#20
#20
It's going to rain. Probably evry day. Humid as all get out. I agree with a lot of the above, it's more experience driven than performance driven.

Had no clue they started charging to sit.
 
#21
#21
They still have the strut? That was the best part of riverbend and it wasn’t even associated with it if I recall
 
#24
#24
Plenty of places to park downtown for $10-15 that would be a 10-15 minute walk to the gates. I think CARTA has a shuttle from the Choo Choo parking area for a few bucks. The green space across the road from the river is no charge to put down chairs and is first come first serve. Lots of people do this at lunch or after work and then return later. There’s lots of people that simply walk around, we’ve never had an issue finding a place to put down a couple chairs. I think the bands can be preloaded, before they’ve had ID tents selling tokens but who knows what it will be this year since the change. My guess is you will still have to go to an ID tent before buying beer. I can tell you the bands have a catch on them that won’t back off when tightened, the instructions say leave it on for 4 days. I would say cut that off and get a safety pin to keep it together.
 
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