503-282-0877
After seven wonderful years of Festivals, we are sad to announce that RiverCity is going on hiatus for the foreseeable future. Although we had made progress financially, it just wasn’t quite enough. If Chuck or I win the lottery, you can bet that we’ll be back, but in the meantime, RiverCity Music and its board will remain intact. That way if an opportunity presents itself, we’ll be there to take advantage of it. Words can’t express how much fun we had putting this event together and the incredible fun we had during Festival weekends. Gary Veatch, one of our longstanding volunteers said it well: ‘Thanks for 8 wonderful festivals, hundreds of wonderful performers, thousands of wonderful songs, millions of wonderful notes, and an infinite number of sweet memories’. That thank you belongs to more people than I could name here but includes the volunteers who ran it during the weekend, our board of directors, John Malloy, who chose all that amazing talent, the members of the bluegrass community who supported it, our wonderful sponsors, the performers from the Pacific Northwest, Chick Rose and now Stacey Harnew for the School of Bluegrass and the Red Lion On The River, who gave us every break imaginable. And, never say never. I fell in love with this event, a hard thing to just let die. So if you know of someone who would like a really nice tax deduction, be sure to let us know.
Jan. 6, 7 & 8, 2012
At the Red Lion On the River
Jantzen Beach
Fri: 5:00- 11:00 pm
Sat:10:00 am- 11:00 pm
Sun: 10:00 am- 5:00 pm
While RiverCity definitely completely satisfies the traditional bluegrass lover, in addition we’ve always been proud to present a compatible blend of all kinds of really good music. Whether played on a fiddle, mandolin, dobro, pedal steel, accordion, acoustic or electric guitar, the commonality boils down to the exuberance of experiencing the county’s most talented artists in a live setting. And that’s just part of this really special weekend.
This is not a concert. It’s more of a party. It’s pretty hard not to make friends while wandering around listening to those that are jamming, from your seat during one of the many live performances, while attending one of the masters or beginners workshops or at the dance on Saturday night. And once you’ve bought your ticket, all those things are at your fingertips at no additional charge. There is always something going on and you can do what you want, when you want.
This is the 6th annual RiverCity Music Festival and our first at our new home, the Red Lion On The River at Jantzen Beach. This resort style hotel is very happy to host the festival as shown by their very reasonable rates of $99 per night ($109 for a river view room). Even if you live locally, the added experience of having a place to rest after a late night makes the weekend a special treat indeed. Add brunch on Sunday morning and you’ve given yourself the equivalent of a well deserved getaway. For reservations call 503.283.4466.
About Portland, OR
As Portland, Oregon’s 25-year vision plan elegantly notes "vibrant, diverse neighborhoods are home to all manner of people, but it’s the other things that give a place its soul – the cafes and markets, the art, parks, plazas, vistas and sanctuaries." Portland’s districts do indeed possess distinct personalities, which is perhaps unusual for a relatively small city. The artistic Pearl District, sophisticated Nob Hill and bohemian Hawthorne are just a few neighborhoods that consistently draw enthusiastic crowds of visitors.
Within these districts, the "Rose City’s" culture simmers in hip coffeehouses, Native American art galleries, ubiquitous bookstores and lively brewpubs. Like much of Portland, these areas encourage exploration on foot.
Rivaling Portland, Oregon’s manmade art are the spectacular masterpieces by Mother Nature. Crowning the city’s skyline is Mount Hood, the tallest peak in Oregon’s Cascade Mountain Range. Within the metro area are 37,000 acres of parks and green spaces that include sizeable chunks of prime downtown real estate, fabulous rose gardens, waterfront promenades and more.
Workshops: For The Schedule Click Here.
Workshops are offered by national artists on every bluegrass instrument.
Vocal harmonies as well on Saturday and Sunday.
Jamming at the Festival:
Along with buying your tickets, plan on bringing your instruments. Jamming is welcome and encouraged, there is a ton of space at the Red Lion Hotel to jam and make new friends!
We also offer a secure instrument & coat check for your convenience.
Volunteers:
Click for all the details about volunteering. Try as we might, we can't do it by ourselves! So, we find a LOT of volunteers to HELP! As of mid-November, we have room for a few more volunteers. If you’re interested, please contact info@rivercitybluegrass.com and we’ll provide information on volunteering.
We are also searching
for skilled persons
for pre-event assistance.
After the devastating loss of Chick Rose, we looked at how this program would continue. Fortunately, Martin Stevens, Athena Patterson, Luke Dewhirst and Stacey Harnew will be making sure Chick’s vision lives on as Chick’s Kids. Stacey will assume the role of the ‘mom’ of the program and oversee the details and registration. Martin, Luke and Athena, Chick’s most important ‘kids’, will be paying it forward by acting as the lead instructors for which we are so grateful. There will be several peer instructors as well. We will continue to offer this as a free, all-day Friday program for people aged 7 to 17.
So if your child is interested in learning the basics of guitar, mandolin, bass, banjo, resonator guitar or vocals, we welcome you to register him or her. The Chick’s Kids Program will take place on Friday, January 6, 2012. The day consists of morning and afternoon sessions culminating in a performance on the Mt. St. Helens stage. To register, contact Stacey by emailing her at arts.antiques@comcast.net. If you have questions, her phone number is 503-422-6100. New this year is an ‘Instrument Petting Zoo’ where kids can experiment and play with all kinds of instruments with volunteer helpers. There will also be an opportunity for younger kids to make instruments to take home. All of this is at no cost.