ROCK THE RIVER — Inaugural Orange concert fun to return in 2024, tweaks considered
Published 12:20 am Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Jacob Bilbo and Andrea Bilbo with 1-year-old Charlotte attend Rock the River in 2023. The fun returns next month. (Randy Strong/Orange Leader)
6-year-old Nathan Porter (Randy Strong/Special to the Orange Leader)
Twins Lillian and Arielle Schnepf hang out with firefighter Matt Hopkins. (Randy Strong/Special to the Orange Leader)
Corey McDaniel stands with Bonnie and Dustin Knau. (Randy Strong/Special to the Orange Leader)
David Nobles, 4, shows off his strength. (Randy Strong/Special to the Orange Leader)
"Running on Credit" kicks off Saturday's festivities for Orange's Rock the River. (Randy Strong/Special to the Orange Leader)
(Randy Strong/Special to the Orange Leader)
(Randy Strong/Special to the Orange Leader)
Rock the River fun in 2023. (Randy Strong/Orange Leader)
(Randy Strong/Special to the Orange Leader)
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The City of Orange launched the inaugural Rock the River, Summer Kick-Off music festival less than three weeks ago, and plans are being made to fine-tune the fun and grow attendance in 2024.
This year’s event took place May 20 and included five bands playing across eight hours at the City of Orange Riverside Pavilion.
Brandy Judice, City of Orange Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Coordinator, said crowds came and went with each band.
“You could tell who was there for what,” she said. “We were also competing with the Marsh Fest (in Winnie), Topless Weekend at (Crystal Beach), graduation and a recital. It wasn’t a surprise that it was going to be a lower attendance, but this was the first year for us to have the event.”
Organizers have already said it is going to return in 2024 and take place in May, but it would be held at the beginning of the month.
“It was a matter of finding new bands, trying to drive different people to come in and have more of the ‘Rock the River’ feel,” Judice said. “It wasn’t going to be slower music, zydeco or anything like that. We were just looking for something different, which is why we brought in who we brought in.”
The same musical approach is expected in 2024.
This year, the advertised bands included Running on Credit, SideCar, JT Reserve, Logan Soileau and Joey Ward Band.
Concessions and a kid zone were on site and there was no charge to attend the family friendly fun.
