The annual Riverfest Festival recognizes the role  the two rivers passing through the heart of our town have played in the heritage of our city. At its heart the City of Clarksville will always be a river town, our lives affected by their timeless ebb and flow. One of the greatest things about Riverfest is how it draws us together, all walks of life intermingling,  and for a that moment at least we are one people.

The final day of Riverfest will be jammed packed with things to see and do, so come early, and bring the whole family to join in this amazing celebration of our culture and heritage!

Riverfest Friday evening

For a complete list of activities see the schedule of events

Remembering September  11th 2001

At 5:00 pm it seemed as if the entire City of Clarksville paused for a moment to remember those who lost their lives on September 11th 2001. The City Honor Guard came on stage, made up of Police, Fire and Rescue, and members of the Sheriff’s Department. They carried two extra flags on this day, one each to honor the NYC Police and Fire Departments.

As the colors were presented, the 101st Airborne Division band kicked off with the Star Spangled Banner. As the last notes of the National Anthem sounded. Councilwoman Deanna McLaughlin began her heartfelt remembrance of that terrible day eight years ago. She continued by narrating a time line of the events that day, listing the number of casualties as each plane crashed, and as each building came tumbling down. She spoke of her certainty that our Country would be swift to take vengeance for the attacks, and how she knew that it would most likely involve her husband, a serving soldier in the U.S. Army. The crowd listened in respectful silence.

After Councilwoman McLaughlin concluded her remarks, the Fire Department’s Chaplin called for the crowd to pray. A prayer is a staple at city events, and today it  sought the blessings of God for those died securing the freedom our country enjoys, those who lost family members in the 9/11 attacks, and for our serving soldiers.

The prayer was followed by the sharp crack gunfire which echoed repeatedly between the banks of the Cumberland River,  as each of the three volleys in the twenty-one gun salute was fired. Soldiers, First responders, and ex-military members saluted as the crowd stood with hands reverently held over their hearts. Some members of the audience were moved to tears.

Things  you need to know

Food and drink

Be sure to bring your appetites as the food court features something for every one. Ranging from crispy golden funnel cakes to the biggest turkey drumsticks you have ever seen. Tickets for food and drinks are $1 each, and be sure to bring cash to purchase them with, cash is not accepted directly by the food vendors.

Parking

Parking is available at the Austin Peay State University, Dunn Center parking lot with free transportation down to the festival. Some Riverside Drive businesses may allow parking as well. Be sure to park only where you have been directly authorized to ensure your vehicle is still there when you return!

What is there to see and do

The River of Culture

Our local culture benefits from the people from all over our nation and the world that Fort Campbell to the North, and Austin Peay State University in the heart of our Historic Downtown area, brings in to our city, and is clearly reflected in groups showing their stuff in the River of Culture where you can find everything from demonstrations of the various Martial arts; to the exotic Ballet Folklorico Viva Panama, and will also feature the lithe gyrations of the Jezzebellies Dance Troupe, and the graceful Hui Hawaii O Tenesi Hawaiian Civic Club. In addition to their more exotic forms of dancing, local dance groups are also performing throughout the day if that is more suited to your tastes.

The Budweiser Stage

The Budweiser stage featured more mass appeal type acts including Highway 105, Mike Broward-Buffet, Chain Reaction, and American Floyd. Tommorow the stage will open with acts which will delight the younger members of the audience starting with a Magic show, followed the Nashville Zoo, and finishing up with Wake boarding for the teens. The Musical performances for the adults kick off at 1:15 pm with Sterling Heights, Dusty Mahan, and Stephanie Corbin.

The musicians will take a break starting at 4:30 pm for a contest which will feature local talent who will be trying their best to show the audience that they have what it takes to be the Beaver Country Idol! The contest is sponsored by the Beaver 100.3FM and Draughons Junior College. To show your support you are encouraged to make signs showing your support, and be sure to cheer as loud as you can for your favorite contestant.

The musical performances continue at 6:30 pm with The Pistols, followed by the hilarious Trailer Choir, and the Budweiser Stage closes out the night with the exceptional talent of Jack Ingram who was the winner of the the 2008 Academy of Country Music award for “Best New Male Vocalist

The Gateway Stage

The Gateway Stage has been set aside primarily for religious acts, though on Saturday morning many of the local dance studios will be holding performing there. In addition to the dance performances at 1:00 pm the Gateway to Stardom talent competition will be held, followed by a Stepping competition from 3:00 pm till 4:00 pm.

Friday night featured the headlining Christian band Rush of Fools, along with performances by G Man, Jamie Worley, Xample Praise, and August Christopher. Tomorrow the music resumes at 4:15 pm, with Keisha Williams, Alfonz, Renay Ross, Atomic Blonde, Five Minus One, Stan Lassiter, and closing out the evening with the blues performed by Stacey Mitchart.

The Kids Zone

The Kids’ Zone is back this year and is packed with fun for the kids to enjoy. Visit Toddler Town, the area set aside just for the pint size visitors to Riverfest. The “bigger kids” can enjoy themselves too with inflatables for teens and adults.

Photos the 2009 Riverfest

This gallery has been updated to include photos from both Friday & Saturday night

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Friday was a wet miserable day but even that didn’t dampen the spirits of the attendees of the 2008 Riverfest opening night. While the rain wasn’t heavy it was a persistent mist and was at least partly responsible for a reduction in the turnout. Saturday was the brighter day, with occasional clouds, a good dose of sunshine, and a cooling breeze.

Visitors to the festival were treated with access to all kinds of food in the Cumberland Bank and Trust food court including domestic favorites, and exotic international cuisine such as Jerk Chicken, Polish Sausages, and Schnitzel. Several varieties of beer was available for those 21 or over (Proper ID required).

The children’s area featured rides and inflatables, and children had unlimited play for a $10 fee.

US Bank sponsored an area called A River of Culture which exposed visitors to various cultures including Guam, Hawaii, Korea, Japan, Mexico, Panama, France, Thailand, Russia and more. A local favorite, the colorful Clarksville-based Ballet Folklorico Viva Panama dancers, also performed.

Our gallery captures the festivities of Riverfest 2008. (Photos by: Bill Larson (Friday) & Mark Haynes (Saturday))

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Cuarto Festival Hispano De Clarksville (4th Hispanic Festival of Clarksville), sponsored by BNM Productions, will overlay the sound of salsa and merengue in a full day of festivities, music, food and fun for adults and children alike.

The Panaminian heritage is included in this festival in the form of the Clarksville-based Folklorico dance company, which presents a celebration of Panamanian dance and culture. The company is the creation of Vicki Schuler, a professional dancer now teaching a new generation of dancers from her home in North Clarksville.

Shuler, with bright eyes and a broad welcoming smile, stood poised with the stance of a dancer in front of a photo of herself as a young dance artist, explaining her desire to keep this piece of Panamanian culture alive.

“We have a lot of people in Clarksville who come from Panama. many of them are connected to [Fort Campbell]. This is a way of connecting, of meeting each other, and of passing our heritage to our children.” — Vicki Shuler

Through the early afternoon, students arrived at the Shuler home, changing quickly into costume before tumbling into the studio for this dress rehearsal. Amid the organized chaos, headpieces are adjusted, the flare of a skirt is checked, jewelry adjusted, and the history of Panamanian dance and costume in explained.

Shuler looked with pride at her young students, watching as they stepped through the paces of dances choreographed in another time and place. Many are simple dances in which the costumes play as large a part as the footwork. Graceful arms movements lift and swirl the flaring skirts as the young men accent the movements and guide their partners. When all the pieces are assembled, the music and the garments become an integral part of the dance experience.

Her daughter, Mildred Vernon, whose three children now dance with the company, said that though her mom was a professional dancer, Vernon never had the chance to dance when she was younger. Now she is active with and committed to this two-year-old troupe, which has also performed in Nashville, in Ohio, and in other venues around the region and country. Vernon said her mother’s dream is to have a community center that will offer the city’s Panamanians a cultural and social outlet that can also highlight their heritage.

On a bright Sunday afternoon, the dance troop (above), which numbers up to 20, with some dancers as young as four years of age, gathered in a meticulous painted garage lined portraits, press photos, awards, practice costumes and dance trophies. Latin music filed the space as this small group donned their colorful costumes and gathered for a dress rehearsal, a practice session that spilled out of the confines of the garage to the full length of the driveway.

Shuler (left) spends hours making most of costumes worn by her dancers: the brilliantly colored polleras (skirts), starched and pleated, that unfurl with the beauty and arc of a Spanish fan, the shawl-like ruffle that drapes the shoulders, yard upon yard of hand-stitched ribbon and lace trim, and the glitter of gold and multi-color bead jewelry.

The basic pieces of the pollera are the gown or upper part, the skirt or lower part and the petticoat or underskirt. The gown or blouse consists of two ruffles, lace or embroidered in favored color and design edged with lace.

The skirt is fashioned from two wide pieces ornamented with the chosen motif and joined together and bordered with strips of lace. It is very fully gathered on a waist band. Four wide ribbons hang from the waist, two in the center front and two in the back–they are called ‘gallardetes’, meaning ‘graceful streamers’. The petticoat is often as elaborate as the skirt but is always pure white and the trimming is hand-made thread lace.

Costumes historians agree that the ground cloth must be white and the 12 yards of material required to make each ensemble can be fine linen, cambric or voile. The motifs may be formed by birds, flowers, fruit, vines, garlands or native designs. The height of elegance is achieved when these designs are executed in ‘talco en sombra,’ which is hand-sewn appliqué; however, they can be also created in cross stitch or embroidery.

The headpieces worn by the female dancers begin with a traditional gold crown that sits on the top of the head, with a ‘tembleque’ wrapping around the head from ear to ear. The tembleques are intricately wired and woven headpieces containing hundreds of white, crystal and pearl beads, a lush tangle of sparkling ornamentation that is characteristic of Panamanian costuming. The beaded strands are woven in the patterns of birds, insects or butterflies and originally included fish scales.

Some of the dancers have hairpins or ‘knives’ — exagerated, oversized ornaments with a long, letter-opener style blade that is tucked into the wearer’s hair. Vernon explained that these knives were at one time true defensive weapons worn by a woman who might have to return home alone. “Protection,” Vernon explained, demonstrating how this decoration blade could be quickly pulled from the hair and brandished.

While stories abound about the origin of the Pollera, the most popular theory is that it is an adaptation of a gypsy dress worn in Spain at a time paralleling the conquest of Peru; theorists suggest the costuming migrated to Panama via the servants of colonial families (circe1400-1600).

The young men wear plain black trousers, tuxedo-style pin-tucked shirts left loose rather than tucked in, and straw Panama hats that are as much costume as prop. A rack of handmade “practice skirts hang on a multi-tiered rack donated by Fashion Bug. The expensive and intricate hand-made costumes are reserved for dress rehearsals, photos, and the performances.

The Latina Festival will run from noon to 10 p.m. at the Clarksville Fairgrounds, and will feature an array of Latin foods.

A Christian Stage will play from noon-2 p.m. and will be sponsored by H.O.P.E. The festival will showcase little known dance groups such as Ballet Folklorico Viva Panama and Little Mexico. Performers include DJ Carlos Llanes, Danny Salazar, Grupo Son Latino, Gemini twins, and more. Sandra Otero will display her handmade jewelry, and Columbian artist Fernando Vargas will exhibit his work.

Admission is $5 per adult, $3 per child under age 10 are admitted free. Vendors will offer a selection of Latin food and beverages.