When the Goo Goo Dolls take to the floating center stage at this year’s Riverbend Festival they are almost guaranteed to play “Name,” the smash hit that put them on the map in 1995.
And when they get to the second verse of the song, frontman Johnny Rzeznik will croon the words “Scars are souvenirs you never lose.”
The line, which in the song laments the loss of childhood hopes and dreams, can also be applied to a new feature of the festival – the Riverbend Adventure Challenge. Scars are only part of the fun.
Like a mid-90s mix tape, the Adventure Challenge blends area favorites – trail running, standup paddleboarding and rock climbing – to form something new. “We just wanted to come up with something cool to go with Riverbend,” says Mark Baldwin, owner of L2 Boards downtown who is spearheading the challenge. “I think it’s one of the coolest combinations in the country for the race.”
Amy Morrow, the public relations director for Friends of the Festival which runs Riverbend, says the challenge joins the BlueCross Riverbend Run & Walk in making the festival about more than funnel cakes, music and chicken on a stick. “We’re always trying to come up with new and creative things to engage folks,” Morrow says. “We try to make it more than just the festival.”