Music, Food & Fun at 2nd ‘Fall for Rockford’

Music, Food & Fun at 2 nd ‘Fall for Rockford’

Fall, food and fun go together so well. Throw in great music and a beloved downtown river atmosphere and you have all the ingredients for a terrific community event. At least that’s what members of the River District Association thought when they planned the first Fall for Rockford food and music festival last year. Their hunch proved correct when more than 5,500 people joined in the fun.

This year’s Fall for Rockford promises even more local food vendors and an exciting music lineup with artists from all over the country. It will take place from 2 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, in the 100 and 200 blocks of North Main Street in downtown’s historic River District. Admission is free. More than a dozen local restaurants will sell signature menu items for a taste of Rockford.

The performers have been carefully chosen.

“We’re very excited about this year’s lineup,” says Missy Minnaert, executive director of the River District Association. “The artists we’ve secured span a wide variety of musical genres and we’re confident they’ll bring a contagious energy to our festival.”

The headliner is Muscadine Bloodline. This Mobile, Ala. duo of Gary Stanton and Charlie Muncaster came together in early 2016. Today they have two Billboard-charting, criti-

cally acclaimed EPs under their belt and a reputation for high-energy live experiences from coast to coast. Their sound combines the brash irreverence of early southern rockers with the seductive quality of ’90s country love songs. They’ll perform from 7:45 to 9:15 p.m.

Other performances include singer/ songwriter Kyle Young; the bluesy/ folksy band Scruffy Pearls; and singer/ songwriter Faren Rachels.

Kyle Young is an improvisational funk-fusion artist from the Chicagoland area who’ll perform from 2 to 3:15 p.m.

Scruffy Pearls is a NYC-based band that combines classic influences from soul, rock, folk, and blues; this band takes the stage from 3:45 to 5 p.m.

Faren Rachels grew up drag racing in Sparta, Ga., and formed her band during college. She takes the stage from 6 to 7:15 p.m.

Returning food vendors include Cantina Taco, Bella Luna Bakery, Pizza on Earth, District Bar & Grill, Thdoctas Jerk & Soul Food, Rockford Roasting Co. and Sugar Jones. New this year will be Edible Vibes, Downtown Fancy Franks,

Savor BBQ, Lulu’s Roasted Corn, 15th & Chris, Del Churro, and Velvet Robot Coffee Lab.

There’ll be plenty of fun for children, including inflatables, at this family- friendly event.

Fall for Rockford is run almost entirely by volunteers. The River District gives a donation to two organizations that provide day-of volunteers. Interested organizations can learn more about this opportunity by emailing info@ riverdistrict.com.

Fall for Rockford is supported by the City of Rockford, Rockford Area Convention & Visi tors Bureau, LaMonica Beverages, Stenstrom Com- panies, Liebovich Brothers, Inc., International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, Rocktown Adventures, US Bank, Mercyhealth, Aqua-Aerobics, Illinois Bank & Trust, PepsiCo, Montel Technologies, Smart Living Weekly and 23 WIFR, the official media sponsor.

Learn more at fallforrockford.com. ❚