FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association
PHONE: 256.350.3500 / 800.648.5381
EMAIL: info@northalabama.org

Riverfest to Bring in New Activities to Beef Up the Fun for 25th Anniversary

Decatur, Ala. (August 14, 2019) – Riverfest will celebrate its 25th anniversary and the best of barbeque when it returns to the banks of the Tennessee River in Decatur. While barbeque continues to take center stage, festivalgoers will be treated to several new activities when it celebrates its silver anniversary next month.

Set for September 13-14, 2019, at Ingalls Harbor, Riverfest brings together pitmasters from across the country for some fierce barbeque competition as festivalgoers enjoy family-friendly fun and live music. A new competition category has been added to heat things up a bit for its silver anniversary. Sponsored by Jack Daniels Cooperage, the KCBS-sanctioned steak cook off invites grill masters to see who can cook the best ribeye onsite. The grand champion steak cook off on Friday night will get an automatic golden ticket to compete on Team Alabama at the World Food Competition to be held in Dallas, Texas in October. 

Riverfest continues to be recognized by the state of Alabama as an official State Barbeque Championship competition. The competition typically attracts around 70 professional and amateur teams from across the country to see who has the best brisket, pork, chicken, ribs, dessert and sauce. Riverfest is also the third and final leg of the North Alabama Triple Crown, a dual sanctioned barbeque competition for North Alabama. The winner of the Triple Crown will be announced and presented a trophy and cash prize at the event. Competing for prize money and trophies, the barbeque cook-off is open to professional and amateur teams. 

Riverfest has partnered with Talladega Superspeedway to bring the Pace Car for all to see at this year’s event. They are also bringing their prize wheel and will be handing out tons of Talladega swag and even a few tickets to upcoming races. As an added bonus for the competing barbeque teams, the grand champion winning team will be presented with Grandstand tickets for the Sunday race, along with prize money and trophy.
 
This year will offer the Jack Daniels General Store, where festivalgoers can purchase all types of Jack Daniel’s merchandise, including barrels and barrel lids, and festivalgoers will also want to check out the new Rocket City RV mini park where all kinds of things RV and camping related will be on display.  In addition, craft vendors and food trucks offering barbeque and other traditional festival food will be on hand and an amazing children's area will keep the young ones entertained all day on Saturday. 

Friday night headliner is a longstanding Riverfest favorite, The Ben Parker Project. Ben hails from Lawrence County, Ala. but now lives and performs nightly in Nashville. The Lamont Landers Band will be headlining on Saturday night. The band consists of all Alabama natives and has been featured on Showtime at the Apollo with Steve Harvey. Lead singer and Decatur native Lamont Landers recently performed on America's Got Talent with raving reviews. Modern country rock band the Shannon Woods Band will be joining the line up as well. The Decatur-based band was recently nominated for the Nashville Music Industry Awards’ Country Group of the Year. Several other local acts from across North Alabama and southern Tennessee will be joining these performers for an amazing music extravaganza.

Hosted by Mosaic Mentoring of North Alabama, the festival runs from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on both days. Daily armbands are only $5 and children under 10 years old are free. Proceeds benefit Mosaic Mentoring of North Alabama. For more information on Riverfest, visit http://www.mosaicnorthal.org/riverfest.html. 

About Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA)
AMLA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of the travel industry within the 16 northernmost counties of the state. It is supported by 500-plus members. Members of the AMLA include chambers of commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureaus, attractions, campgrounds, festivals, communities, counties, golf courses, restaurants, tour operators, accommodations, vendors, financial institutions and individuals. Counties included within the AMLA region are Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan and Winston. Additional information on North Alabama destinations, accommodations and special events is available from AMLA by calling 800.648.5381 or by visiting their web site at www.northalabama.org.  

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