| Wilmington,
NC – September 2014 / Newsmaker Alert / October is just around
the corner and organizers of the 36th
Annual Riverfest wish to invite everyone to visit Wilmington’s historic
river district the weekend of October 3-5 to “Rediscover Riverfest” and
experience the exciting ways in which the festival has grown and changed
in recent years. With the Cape Fear River as its focus, Riverfest captures
the river’s heritage, culture, and natural beauty with a schedule of events
that all ages will enjoy.
Since its humble beginnings
in 1979, Wilmington’s annual Riverfest celebration has become the area’s
largest fall festival. What started as a small cultural street fair to
entice residents to venture Downtown now extends from the Coastline Conference
& Event Center on Nutt Street all the way to Chandler’s Wharf on South
Water Street. Today’s Riverfest remains true to its roots as a family-friendly,
cultural festival. It now boasts a half-mile of free entertainment with
more than 200 craft vendors and concessions, as well as continuous live
music, fireworks, a Kidz Zone, visiting ships, pirates, competitions, and
lots of exhibits and special events.
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The 36th Annual Riverfest
celebration begins on Friday, October 3 with a Garden Party (11am-3pm)
at Greenfield Lake’s Rotary
Garden, home of the world’s largest rotary wheel. Garden Party tickets
($55 each) are available online at www.greenfieldlakecollaborative.org
and parking/shuttle service will be at Legion
Stadium. At 6pm, the Riverfest concert series jumpstarts Friday evening
festivities at Wilmington’s Riverfront Park in the Beer Garden. On Saturday
and Sunday, a street fair winds its way through Wilmington’s historic river
district with special exhibits, along with vendors selling art and handmade
crafts and over 30 food vendors serving festival edibles. Continuous live
entertainment is another hallmark of Riverfest with a variety of performances
that underscore the influence of arts and culture on the Cape Fear lifestyle.
On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the Main Stage at Riverfront Park and the
Beer Garden stage will showcase live bands. The Kid Zone stage also offers
family entertainment. And what river celebration would be complete without
pirates? The 85-foot pirate ship Liana’s
Ransom will offer tours (admission charge) both days from the dock
behind the Hilton Wilmington Riverside (www.lianasransom.com).
Other Saturday events include:
the Sun Coast Cruisers Classic Car Show (Sat., 10am-6pm, Market Street),
a Standup Paddle Race (10am), and a Kids Pirate Treasure Hunt (1pm-4pm).
At 6pm, the Beer Garden music stage welcomes live bands. Returning this
year is the Invasion of the Pirates Flotilla (www.invasionofthepirates.com/Flotilla.html),
a lighted pirate-theme boat parade and competition at 7:20pm, followed
by a dazzling display of riverside fireworks at 9pm. Sunday’s special events
include the 24th Run the River 8K Race (race at 8am; registration 7am),
the Great Waiter’s Wine Race (2pm) and the Antique Car Show (10:30am-3pm,
Market Street). New this year is a Rowing Regatta (11am) on Sunday.
There are also plenty of
free family activities at the ever-popular Kidz Zone at the Cotton Exchange,
such as face/hair painting, balloon art, games, amusements, arts/crafts,
clowns, rides, obstacle course, mascots, live entertainment, and more.
Older kids will enjoy exhibits at the Adventure Zone. Affordable event
parking is available in public parking decks located at 2nd & Princess
streets, at Front & Market streets; and at 2nd & Chestnut streets.
See where the water takes
you! Annual events like Riverfest afford visitors a great opportunity to
experience our region’s traditions. An estimated 200,000 gather at Riverfest
to celebrate the heritage, beauty, and culture of the Cape Fear River.
Riverfest continues its commitment to Cape Fear Community College with
an endowment that helps support its Marine Technology Program studies and
environmental efforts. For more information about Riverfest 2014, visit
www.wilmingtonriverfest.com.
For visitor information on Wilmington, N.C.’s Historic River District and
the Island Beaches of Carolina
Beach,
Kure Beach, Wrightsville
Beach, visit www.GoWilmingtonAndBeaches.com,
www.visitcarolinabeachnc.com,
www.visitkurebeachnc.com,
and www.visitwrightsvillebeachnc.com.
Visitors may also call 866-266-9690 or email visit@wilmingtonandbeaches.com
to request a free Official Visitors Guide.
Media
Contact:
Wilmington
and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau
Connie
Nelson
Communications/PR
Director
910-332-8751
866-266-9690
ext. 120
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The
New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority d/b/a Wilmington and Beaches
Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization
of New Hanover County, North Carolina that stimulates economic development
through the promotion of travel and tourism.
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