Jun 11, 2014 4 min read

RICES LANDING – Rices Landing Riverfest returned last year after a hiatus of about eight years and since the festival was well received, organizers decided to do it again this year.

Riverfest 2014 will be celebrated Friday and Saturday on the lock wall of the former Rices Landing Lock and Dam with musical entertainment, food, crafts, fireworks, blacksmithing demonstrations and activities for children.

“Last year, we had about 3,000 people here,” said Ryan Belski, Rices Landing mayor and one of the event organizers. “It was a pretty good turnout even though the weather was not too good on Friday, the first night,” he said.

“It went well enough for us to put it on again for another year.” The festival is sponsored by Rices Landing Volunteer Fire Company with the assistance of Rices Landing Borough.

Riverfest was first organized in 1976 to celebrate Greene County’s bicentennial. It was held each year, except in 1986 and 1987, when river flooding damaged the lock wall. It was discontinued following the 2005 festival.

Belski said the festival was revived last year to provide an event for the community, something that had been missing after the last Riverfest in 2005.

“It was important as a community event and it also was a good outlet for local organizations, the fire company, scouts, churches and the legion, that used it for fundraising,” he said. After Riverfest folded in 2005, that was gone.

This year, live music will again be featured on the lock wall both days of the festival. Organizers switched entertainment around a little from last year and will feature two local bands playing ’80s and ’90s rock Friday night and four country bands on Saturday, Belski said.

The festival, this year, also has attracted more craft vendors and a better variety of foods, he said. In addition, more activities will be available for children, including face painting, air brush tattoos, a magician, a person who shapes balloons, spin art and games.

People can also rent a kayak or paddleboat at the boat launch and take a spin on the river, take a walk on the nearby Greene River Trail, which passed through the borough, or just stroll around town, stopping to tour and watch blacksmithing demonstrations at the historic W.A. Young Foundry and Machine Shop.

The shop, which opened in 1900, has remained pretty much unchanged since the days it served the riverboat, railroad and mining industries. It has been referred to in the National Park Service’s Historic American Engineering Record as “a pristine example” of a 20th century machine shop.

Parking for the event is free. The organizers have arranged to run shuttles between the lock wall and parking lots at the Rices Landing fire hall, Hewitt Presbyterian Church and Sacred heart Roman Catholic Church.

The schedule of event is as follows:.

On Friday, gates will open at 4 p.m.

Activities include blacksmith demonstrations at historic W.A. Young and Sons Foundry, 4 p.m. to closing; opening ceremonies, 5:30 p.m.; Hit N Run Band, 6 p.m., sponsored by Rices Landing Giant Eagle; The Hamptons Band, 9 p.m.; fireworks sponsored by EQT, 9:45 p.m. Admission on Friday is $5 for adults and $2 for children.

On Saturday, gates will open at 11: 45 a.m.

Activities include kayak and paddleboard rentals at boat launch, 11:45 a.m. to dark; blacksmith demonstrations at the W.A. Young and Sons Foundry, noon to closing; Michael Christopher Band, 12:30 p.m.; Justin Fabus Band, 3 p.m., sponsored by First Energy; Christian Beck Band, 6 p.m., sponsored by Greene County Tourism; and The Hillbilly Way, 9 p.m., sponsored by the Rices Landing Volunteer Fire Company.

Admission for Saturday’s events is $15 for adults and $2 for children at the gate. Advance tickets are $10 for adults are available at the Rices Landing Giant Eagle and at Showclix.com.