ENTERTAINMENT

Going to Riverfest? Here's what you need to know

Shauna Steigerwald
ssteigerwald@enquirer.com
In this 2010 photo, Riverfest fireworks light up the sky over Cincinnati as seen from the Queens Tower in East Price Hill.

Summer's annual send-off, the Western & Southern/WEBN Fireworks presented by Cincinnati Bell, will cap off a full day of Riverfest activities this Sunday. The theme for this, the event's 39th year, is "America," so it will be all about honoring veterans and service people. Here's what you need to know if you go.

1. DETAILS, DETAILS

Where: Sawyer Point/Yeatman's Cove, 705 E. Pete Rose Way, Downtown

When: Blankets can be placed on Serpentine Wall after 6 a.m. on Saturday. Riverfest begins at noon on Sunday, with fireworks by Rozzi's Famous Fireworks blasting off at 9:05 p.m. Keep in mind, the fireworks won't be shown on TV this year, so you'll have to get yourself to a proper viewing spot if you want to see them. And organizers are expecting record crowds on both sides of the river as a result.

Info:www.webn.com

The crowd at Riverfest.

2. MUSIC LINEUP

America's Next Stage with Kiss 107, 102.3 The Beat, The Project 100.7/106.3 and Self Diploma DJs

noon–12:40 p.m.: Jesse Thomas

1 p.m.–1:40 p.m.: Spearpoint

2 p.m.–2:40 p.m.: Triple The Trouble

3 p.m.–3:40 p.m.: Blank State

4 p.m.–4:40 p.m.: Kid Quill

5 p.m.–5:40 p.m.: School of Rock Mason All-Stars

6 p.m.–7 p.m.: The United States Fleet Forces Band's Popular Music Group – Four Star Edition

7:15 p.m.–8 p.m.: Here Come Here

8 p.m.–9:35 p.m.: 102.7 WEBN Radio

3. OTHER ACTIVITIES

55KRC American Classic Car Show

Kroger Activity Zone

noon-2 p.m.: Jim Scott

2-4 p.m.: Cooking demo with 55KRC's Cooking with Caitlin

4-6 p.m.: 700WLW's Seg Dennison

Captain America characters

Kids' coloring contest

Flyovers by the Cincinnati Warbirds, Tri-State Warbird Museum and Commemorative Air Force

ESPN 1530 All-Backyard Challenge (Sawyer Point Park Lawn)

Family Fun Zone from Western & Southern (Yeatman's Cove)

Dick's Last Resort Dunk Tank benefiting the Freestore Foodbank (noon-7 p.m.)

Military Ceremony featuring The Cincinnati Boychoir (7:30 p.m.)

Crowd Wars from the crown of the Purple People Bridge (8:59 p.m.)

Live broadcast from the Serpentine Wall with WEBN and the KiddChris Show (starts at noon)

Rubber Ducks are dumped into the Ohio River as part of the Freestore Foodbank's Rubber Duck Regatta.

4. FREESTORE FOODBANK RUBBER DUCK REGATTA

It's the 21st year for the event that will race as many as 200,000 rubber ducks down the Ohio River. This year's race will take place at 3 p.m. near the Serpentine Wall. Ducks are for sale online and at Kroger stores ($5 each; six for $25): The person whose duck comes in first will win a 2016 Honda HR-V (and $1 million, if that duck is the KEMBA Million Dollar Duck). There are several other prizes, too.

5. WHAT TO BRING

The WEBN website lists these useful items that are permitted in the park – many of which could come in particularly handy if you have kids in tow.

Strollers, diapers/diaper bags, purse-sized umbrellas, sun block, sunscreen, sunglasses, bug spray, snacks, folding chairs (permitted in designated areas), blankets, cameras, radios, earplugs, binoculars

6. WHAT NOT TO BRING

These items, on the other hand, are prohibited, per the WEBN website.

Alcoholic beverages, illegal weapons, explosives of any kind, wheeled items (skateboards, bicycles, roller blades), laser pointers/laser pens, glass bottles, coolers, liquids, pets (with exception of service dogs), large umbrellas, large chairs, drug paraphernalia, illegal substances, vending/solicitation without WEBN approval.

7. TRAFFIC AND ROAD CLOSURES

Road closures in Covington: All streets north of East Fourth Street and east of Madison Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic at 6 p.m. The Roebling Suspension Bridge, the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge, the Purple People Bridge and the Taylor Southgate Bridge will be closed to all traffic beginning at 6 p.m. The Fourth Street Bridge to Newport will close at 8 p.m.

Madison Avenue will remain open to allow access to public parking lots and garages until they are full or 6 p.m., whichever occurs first. Once the parking lots and garages have reached full capacity, Madison Ave. will be closed to through traffic north of East Fourth Street.

Devou Park, Kenton Hills, and The Bluffs will have restricted traffic beginning at 2 p.m. Access to these areas will be restricted to residents and their guests only.

Click here to get parking info from Covington.

TANK will provide special Riverfest Shuttles from: Northern Kentucky University (Lot E). Fare for the Riverfest Shuttle is $6 round trip for adults. Children under 45" tall ride free. Exact fare is required. Buses will leave the park and ride locations every 20 minutes from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will return to the park and ride lots immediately after the fireworks. The Southbank Shuttle will stop running at 6:00 p.m. and WILL NOT resume until the next day Monday, September 7, 2015.

For more info about the TANK service, click here.

Road closures in Cincinnati: Access to the Cincinnati Riverfront will be limited to pedestrians only. All streets north of and including Third Street will be open.

More closures:

  • The streets into Mt. Adams will be closed at 6 p.m.
  • Daniel Carter Beard Bridge for Interstate 471 will close at 7:30 p.m.
  • Third Street exits from westbound Columbia Parkway and southbound 1-71 will close at 9 p.m.
  • On-street parking will be stopped in the downtown area south of Court Street after 11 a.m. on Sunday.