Sioux Falls RiverFest Draws Over 17,000 to Downtown

While things got off to a hot and windy start on Saturday, August 15th, Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. Riverfest event organizers estimate attendance of over 17,000 people, surpassing last year's event’s attendance of 15,000. This is a new record.

After 6:30 p.m., crowds of folks were arriving in droves to celebrate on the Big Sioux. We attribute this to the incredible musicians, fantastic food and display vendors, the gorgeous venue and the volunteer crew and staff working hard to make this event even better than past years." - Brienne Maner of DTSF.

The annual event featured live music on two stages, art, kids' activities throughout the venue, an interactive water fountain, fireworks and food, beverage and retail vendors placed throughout the expanded event venue on the downtown river greenway.

Venue expansions once again included the newly revitalized Raven Industries stepped edge patio and a redesigned food court in the Raven parking lot with added picnic tables and more vendors for event goers to choose from.

This year's event also included the addition of canoe rides, courtesy of the SD Canoe & Kayak Association. Ridership hit projected capacity of 48 for the duration of the activity, which ran from 5 to 8 p.m. Canoe rides will most likely be offered again in 2016.

Downtown Riverfest was made possible by several sponsors and partners: Avera, Beal Distributing, Click Rain, Inc., CorTrust Bank, Country Inn & Suites, Dacotah Bank, Falls Area Bicyclists, Frontier Bank, Ecomaniacs, Exposure Gallery & Studios, First PREMIER Bank/PREMIER Bankcard, Great Western Bank, Howalt + McDowell, Lloyd Companies, Midcontinent Communications, Pride Neon, Raven Industries, Results Radio Townsquare Media, Sanford Health, SD Canoe & Kayak Association, Sioux Falls Catholic Schools, Stockwell Engineers, White Wall Sessions and Xcel Energy.

DTSF also thanks Cherapa Place, Raven Industries and the City of Sioux Falls, including the Parks & Recreation department.  Their cooperation and support of Downtown Riverfest has been instrumental to the event’s success.

Plans for the fourth annual Downtown Riverfest 2016 are already in the works for Saturday, August 13th.

source: Brienne Maner, Communiactions Director, DTSF