After staging the festival in downtown Grand Rapids the past two years, organizers say moving the three-day 2013 event back to the ballpark gives them time to explore options.
Miranda Lambert kicked off 2012’s Rock the Rapids in downtown Grand Rapids.
After two years in downtown Grand Rapids, the Rock the Rapids music festival will return to Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park Aug. 20-22.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
Citing a need to “re-examine the downtown business model from both an economic standpoint and a location standpoint,” organizers said the move back to the ballpark where the festival started in 2009 will give them time to “explore our options downtown” for the future.
Headliners and performers for this year’s three-day festival haven’t been announced. Last year’s six-day affair in parking lots behind Van Andel Arena starred Miranda Lambert, Toby Keith, Shinedown, Evanescence, Boyz II Men and B.o.B.; the week-long 2011 fest brought Alice Cooper, Jonny Lang, Willie Nelson, Blake Shelton, Stone Temple Pilots and Ludacris.
Festival founder Dennis Baxter said the potential for possible future development of part of that downtown site led organizers to start exploring other options for the festival.
“We did enjoy being there but the city was upfront that they had future development plans for that area so don’t get too married to it,” Baxter told Spins on Music. “We’re trying to take a longer view of it. … The city still wants this downtown and that’s very encouraging to me.”
ORGANIZERS “DIDN’T WANT TO GO DARK FOR A YEAR”
Although the festival boosted its attendance to about 40,000 last year, Baxter conceded it “usually takes a few years for a festival to really take hold” and become financially secure, so organizers are pleased they can stage at least a three-day event in a location with which they’re already comfortable and previously have used. He said they initially mulled the idea of taking a year off but didn’t want to lose momentum with the event.
“I think people enjoy music at the ballpark, so this is a great alternative while we take the time for better planning downtown,” he said. “We didn’t want to go dark for a year and we were lucky the ballpark is open that week.”
Baxter said because of the West Michigan Whitecaps’ minor league baseball schedule, Rock the Rapids couldn’t extend the 2013 festival beyond three days.
“That’s the max we can do at the ballpark,” he said. “Even three days is difficult for them and they’re being gracious to allow us to go that far.”
Although shortening the festival limits opportunities for the breadth of musical acts being booked, Baxter insisted organizers are “still going to try to have a mix of shows. We want the best shows available and reach as many different cultures and stylings that we can.”
Bill Rock, a member of the nonprofit festival board, said in a press release that the festival has brand recognition and a good working relationship with the city of Grand Rapids and its volunteer base, which bodes well for the event to become Michigan’s “preeminent music festival” in the future.
Baxter insisted that while there are obstacles, Rock the Rapids aims to be around for a long time.
“I’ve got a long vision of this thing,” he said. “Certainly, we could use some additional funding, I’m not going to make any qualms about that. But we want to keep some momentum going. This year’s a good example of that. We’re not going away that easily. This festival is here to stay.”
Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music
