Riverbend rounded out its 35th year Saturday night in standard fashion for the festival - with bands, brews and a couple of chest-thumping booms.
Thousands of guests converged on the riverfront all week long for a chance to stretch out in the sun, listen to music or socialize with friends and family, an annual pilgrimage for repeat guests who have come to love the event.
For many, the main draw to the festival is the dozens of well-known musical guests that fill its stages throughout the week, artists including For King and Country, REO Speedwagon, Chris Young and even Salt-N-Pepa.
Early Saturday evening, Josh Robertson sat with his infant son Sam on a blanket in the grass looking up at a jumbo screen TV, less than 100 yards from the main Coca-Cola stage.
The screen showed a closeup of the action onstage as members of Here Come the Mummies bounced around with their instruments while wrapped from head to toe in strips of white cloth.
"We're just trying to introduce him to some fun music early on," Robertson said with a smile. "These guys are a blast."
Robertson said he and his wife, who was off getting lemonade, didn't know who would be playing that night but came anyway because they had a great time at last year's festival. They set up shop late that afternoon with plans to stay through the evening and watch the fireworks that always mark the end of Riverbend.
"We might have to cover [Sam's] ears for that part though," he said.
But for those who aren't music aficionados, the festival offers plenty of other entertainment. For the kids there are small carnival rides and games, while there's shopping, drinks and, for the first time this year, live wrestling.
A Ringgold-based wrestling federation, World of Wrestling, partnered with Friends of the Festival to bring the entertainment to the event. Matches were set up in three-match blocks at 4 and 7 p.m. under the Olgiati Bridge.
According to volunteers who worked at the festival and helped make it happen, everything went smoothly. For the most part, the weather played nice, and with a high of 90 degrees and a persistent breeze conditions were perfect on Saturday evening.
"It's great. It's always great," said Pamela Tyler.
Tyler may have been working, monitoring the crowd from a lawn chair, but it's clear she would come to the festival even if her assistance wasn't required.
"I like to see the groups and the bands," she said. "A lot of people came for the fireworks, too."
The pending fireworks seemed to be on everyone's minds while the sun fell, headliner 38 Special played and groups waited in excitement in their marked-out territories for the main event.
And while they waited, there was plenty to see, hear and taste. In fact, asked what her favorite part of the festival was, 14-year-old Tristin Dollmont didn't waste a beat before pointing out a concession stand behind her.
"The pineapple smoothies."
Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731.
