SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
RENO, Nev. — Swelling well beyond the banks of the Truckee River, the Reno River Festival expands in 2011 to include a free concert in the park from ’80s ska band The English Beat, the first-ever Biggest Little Homebrew Challenge and a 40-foot-long mural from acclaimed painter Mike Meyer, set to take shape from start to finish before an anticipated crowd of nearly 40,000. Crowd favorites such as the Run Amuck fun run and action-packed stand-up paddle board, boatercross and freestyle competitions continue to make waves at the Truckee River Whitewater Park in 2011, while a newly added slalom race also navigates its way down-river toward top prizes.
The three-day event, which takes place May 6 – 8, doles out $10,000 in cash and prizes to its whitewater athletes, $1,000 to the winner of the Humans in Motion video contest and $300 to the top home-brewer as well as illustrious awards to the winners of both the Run Amuck costume contest and relay race. Free Music in the Park, clinics and Yoga in the Park keep people moving all weekend long, while the outdoor expo and the Holland Project’s Double Dutch competition provide ideal opportunities to become mobile spectators. The kids play area keeps little ones entertained with bounce houses, face painting and balloon animals, allowing parents a chance to enjoy the view from the shore in west Wingfield Park and Reno River Festival also offers up an array of custom merchandise to commemorate the weekend with.
In addition, the Festival continues the festivities after-hours with a Friday night after party at Brew Brothers inside the Eldorado Hotel Casino featuring a live performance from Dave Wakeling, lead singer of The English Beat. The party starts at 11 p.m. and continues into the wee hours of the morning, priming audiences for a Saturday filled with running amuck and so much more.
“Heading into our eighth year, we’re really aiming to perfect what good things we already have in place and add new components that appeal to a broader audience,” said Jim Bauserman, owner of the Reno River Festival. “We’re excited to bring bigger, better bands from across the West Coast along with focusing on the production aspects of the whitewater competitions and the Run Amuck race. We know that we already have a good thing in place and it’s our goal to make sure all of those aspects are running smoothly so that we can continue to expand the annual event.”
With an anticipated crowd of more than 40,000 visiting downtown Reno over the course of the weekend, the 8th annual Reno River Festival kicks off Friday, May 6, with junior and adult Open Freestyle competitions followed by the Humans in Motion short-video contest grand prize ceremony at 7 p.m., just prior to the Reno River Festival’s free concert and kick-off party featuring The English Beat. Party goers can expect to dance the night away to performances of classic hits including “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Hands Off…She’s Mine,” and “Best Friend,” while Run Amuck teams can take advantage of the festivities to pick up runner packets, avoiding Saturday’s long lines and allowing more time to perfect those costumes for the 12:30 p.m. costume contest.
Continue the action during Saturday’s free whitewater clinics and of course, everybody’s favorite race, the Run Amuck fun run at 2 p.m. Slalom races hit the water all day long and freestyle finals take place at 5 p.m. Enjoy live music and entertainment from morning ‘til night, topped off by another free concert from acclaimed band Truth & Salvage Co. in the park beginning at 8 p.m. Closing out the competitions, Sunday brings the Standup Paddle Board race, making waves for a second straight year, and boatercross qualifiers and finals from 12 – 3 p.m.
Registration is now open for all Reno River Festival events and activities at www.RenoRiverFestival.com/registration. All HiM contestants must have entries submitted on DVD by April 15 and home-brewers must have all beer in by April 29.
For more information on the Reno River Festival, including sponsorship and volunteer information, please visit www.RenoRiverFestival.com.
The 8th annual Reno River Festival is held at the Truckee River Whitewater Park at Wingfield located in the heart of downtown Reno’s Old Southwest, named one of “Best Neighborhoods in America” by Men’s Journal magazine and recognized by Travel + Leisure as one of “America’s Coolest River Walks.” Hosting top whitewater athletes from around the world May 6-8, 2011, the city’s $1.5-million Whitewater Park is within steps of the downtown Reno gaming and entertainment corridor including dining options ranging from five-star to those open until 5 a.m., entertainment venues, museums, theaters, hiking and biking trails and a selection of renowned hotel-casinos offering fully customizable weekend getaway packages. The 8th annual Reno River Festival is presented by Reno River Festival LLC and Dolan Automotive Group.
