Glastonbury Chamber of Commerce - Riverfront Music Festival

The Glastonbury Chamber of Commerce and Glastonbury Parks & Recreation are pleased to present the 2009 Glastonbury Riverfront Music Festival (formally known at the Summer Music Series.) These free concerts are scheduled for four Wednesday nights beginning July 1, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The concerts will be held at the Welles Street Riverfront Park on the lawn behind the Riverfront Community Center. Free parking and shuttle service will be available at 180 & 200 Glastonbury Boulevard, which is adjacent to Somerset Square.

Enjoy fresh produce at the farmers’ market featuring our very own Glastonbury growers. Food vendors will be also be offering a variety of festival treats from hot dogs and hamburgers to fruit smoothies and ice cream. Or, bring your own picnic and lawn chairs!Concerts will only be cancelled in the event of a thunder and lighting rainstorm.

July 1-Kick Since its formation in 1996, the Connecticut-based band Kick has seen its popularity soar. They have earned a reputation as “the top show band in New England...live, they actually look, perform, and sound better than a lot of the original artists” (Music News Express) and “the most professional modern rock cover band I’ve ever seen. Masterful.” (Hartford Advocate) Widely regarded as one of the best-sounding, most sonically accurate, professional, and visually entertaining rockshows in North America, the diversity of the band’s repertoire has enabled them to perform at such prestigious venues as Gillette Stadium, Toad’s Place, the Pickle Barrel Music Hall, Yale Bowl, and UConn’s Rentschler Stadium, where they perform before every Huskies football game. From Neil Diamond to Metallica, Kick guarantees their audience members will go home having heard at least one song they like.

July 8-Poco Originally formed by Richie Furay and Jim Messina in 1968, Poco was one of the first groups to pioneer Country-Rock music. Their harmonies and instruments of Country mixed with Rock’n’Roll rhythms, paved the way for supergroups like the Eagles and their influence continues to run deep in both Country and Pop music. The title of their first album, Pickin’ Up The Pieces, is the only debut album ever to receive a perfect rating from Rolling Stone Magazine. Throughout the years Poco has performed in various groupings, with the latest version still active today. With 24 original albums and 26 “Best of” and anthology collections, the band boasts a total catalog of 50 releases.

July 15-Firefall In thirty years of making exceptional music, Firefall has distinguished themselves as one of the top bands from the genre of music called Americana. They helped spearhead the birth and continuation of the country-rock/folk-rock sound of the 70’s. The Boulder, Colorado-based rock band saturated the national radio waves and toured the world over, selling millions of records and earning two platinum and three gold albums for their efforts. Firefall is as vital and valid as ever, standing out as one of the few remaining torchbearers for harmony-laden rock; a welcome blast from the past focused firmly on the future.

Enter the So You Think You Can Decorate Picnic Display Contest July 15th

Now is your chance to show off your creative skills in setting up the best picnic display at the July 15th Riverfront Music Festival concert. For a fee of $20, groups may reserve a round table and chairs for 8 and unleash their creativity. Tables may have such themes as tropical, sports buffs, patriotic, etc. The options are endless! Picnic judges will determine and announce the winning display who will be awarded a beautiful gift basket from Mohegan Sun. The band will perform on the lawn behind the Riverfront Community Center on Welles Street from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Reserved tables will be available to begin setting up at 5:00 p.m. Call the Chamber at (860) 659-3587 by July 13 to reserve your table.Picnic judges will also be walking through the crowd at the other three Riverfront Music Festival concerts on July 1, 8 and 22 looking for the best picnic display. Note that the round tables will only be available to reserve for the contest on the 15th.

July 22-Nifty Fifties The Nifty Fifties’ cool retro style and hot new spin on the greatest hits of rock and roll have made them a New England favorite for 20 years. Like a turbocharged time machine, this five piece band will transport you to the manic magic of the golden age of rock and roll, combining their highly charged dance hits of the 50’s, 60’s and beyond with a uniquely entertaining blend of, stage presence, humor and good old-fashioned showmanship. Their enduring popularity with audiences of all ages is due to their contagious sense of fun, and energy during such showstoppers as The Twist, Hand Jive, and Mony, Mony. In keeping with the theme of the night, antique car enthusiasts will have their classic cars on display beginning at 6:00 p.m. The 3rd annual Classic Car Show is not to be missed!

Enjoy fresh produce at the farmers’ market and a variety of festival treats from hot dogs and hamburgers to fruit smoothies and ice cream. Or if you prefer, bring your own picnic to enjoy with your family and friends. Concerts will only be cancelled in the event of a thunder and lighting rainstorm. There are no rain dates. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for the concerts, visit out web site for sponsorship opportunities. Their will be a reception for sponsors prior to the first concert on July 1. For more information, log onto the Glastonbury Chamber website at www.glastonburychamber.com. We hope you will join us.