River Roots Festival To Begin October 8
The America’s River Roots Festival will be held in the Cincinnati area October 8–12. The event will be somewhat like the Tall Stacks events from the past, but this particular event is billed as a “signature event to kick off America’s 250th celebration.” Nine excursion boats from throughout the inland waterways will be on hand, including the true steamboats Belle of Louisville from Louisville, Ky., and the Natchez from New Orleans.
The Belle of Louisville is a U.S. National Historic Landmark built at Pittsburgh in 1914 as the Idlewild. In 1947, it was renamed Avalon and became a “tramp” excursion boat that visited cities throughout the Mississippi River system, resulting in it being considered the most widely traveled steamboat in American history. It was rescued from the scrapper’s torch in 1962 when Jefferson County, Ky., Judge Marklow Cook purchased it at auction. The vessel was restored under the direction of marine architect Alan Bates of Louisville and renamed.
The same Capt. Alan Bates that oversaw the restoration of the Belle of Louisville also designed the steamer Natchez, which was built in 1975 in Braithwaite, La., for the New Orleans Steamboat Company. The engines on the Natchez were originally on the steam towboat Clairton, built in 1927. Except for brief forays to other places, such as its upcoming appearance at River Roots, the Natchez has always called the Port of New Orleans home.
During the five days of River Roots, there will be some 175 scheduled lunch, brunch, dinner, sightseeing and themed cruises held aboard the two steamboats and the other seven excursion boats traveling to the festival.
More than 100 local artisans will be positioned on both sides of the Ohio River in Cincinnati, as well as in the Kentucky cities of Covington and Newport. Eight stages within the three host cities will feature music and entertainers, from nationally recognized artists to emerging and local artists. Headline concert entertainment will be found Thursday through Sunday evening at the Brady Entertainment Center in Cincinnati. Cultural and historic presentations will take place at the Cincinnati Museum Center and the Freedom Center.
A river industry exhibit will be located on the Newport shore with active working vessels open for tours. Nearby will be the ever-popular USS Nightmare, a Halloween themed “haunted boat” that utilizes the former Corps of Engineers sidewheel steam dredge William S. Mitchell. There will be opening and closing parades of excursion vessels and other craft, as well as scheduled races between some of the boats. A fireworks show will be held near the end of the festival on the night of October 12.
Captains Alan Bernstein and Bill Kinzeler are serving as co-chairs overseeing all aspects of the water-based events. A river traffic coordination center, staffed by individuals holding Master of Towing Vessel licenses, will be active from 9 a.m. until about midnight each day. This center will monitor the movements of the excursion vessels, as well as facilitate the passage of commercial towing vessels transiting through the festival area. Since there will be scheduled river closures throughout the event, commercial operators will be asked to contact the river traffic center before arriving in the area. Southbound traffic will call above the I-275 bridges at old Coney Island, Mile 461.9, and northbound traffic will call in at the Anderson Ferry, Mile 478. The river traffic center will monitor VHF channels 13 and 16 and can also be reached by phone at a number that will be made public prior to the event.
For more information about the America’s River Roots Festival, to obtain cruise tickets or to volunteer to work in the event, go online to www.americasriverroots.com.
