River Ruckus is Saturday in downtown Haverhill

Mike LaBella, The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass.
·2 min read

Sep. 23—HAVERHILL — Team Haverhill's River Ruckus, a fun-filled, day-long festival returns for it's 10th year on Saturday from noon to 8:30 p.m. along Washington Street and in Riverfront Park.

This free community festival features a classic car show, live bands, a Kids Zone, the Community Corner, art and history tours, local food, a beer garden and a spectacular fireworks display over the Merrimack River.

The day kicks off at noon on Washington Street with a display of classic cars, muscle cars, hot rods and specialty cars. Washington Street will be closed to all traffic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Haverhill High School crew team will finish its exhibition rowing race in Riverfront Park.

The River Ruckus stage will feature headliner Buffalo Tom, along with The Unlikely Candidates, Tall Heights, James Renner and Red Tail Hawk. Visit www.riverruckus.com for set times.

The Kids Zone runs from noon to 4 p.m. and includes balloon artistry, professional face painting, bouncy-basketball, a master Lego builders challenge, a chalk walk and obstacle course, and a Sea Creature Touch by Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats of Newburyport.

Visitors can take part in historical walking tours and artist discussions from 2 to 4 p.m.

The Buttonwoods Museum will lead a short walk around downtown highlighting Haverhill's Queen Anne style architecture. Local artist Jeff Grassie will discuss the making of the Essex Street Gateway Mural, sculptor Dale Rogers will host a talk about his sculpture, The River Path, in Washington Square and The Switchboard will lead a presentation on the Her Voice Carries mural.

A pop-up vaccine clinic provided by the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center runs from noon to 3 p.m. in the Community Corner at 45 Washington St. A $25 Market Basket gift card will be given to all those that get vaccinated. Moderna (age 18 and up) and Pfizer (age 12 and up) vaccines will be available.

Food will be available all day from la Pizza di Forno, the Chicken Connection, Hard Body Meals, Casa Blanca, Kona Ice, Hidden Heart Cakes and Carter's Ice Cream. The River Ruckus Beer Garden will showcase Spaten Oktoberfest, Jack's Abby Hoponius Union, Goose Island IPA and Goose Island Lemonade Shandy. Strawberry and black cherry hard seltzer, red, white and rosé wines will also be available.

A 50/50 raffle will grow throughout the day, paying out one cash grand prize winner. Multiple prize packages of gift certificates from local businesses, bars and restaurants, along with concert tickets for Billie Eilish and John Mayer will also be raffled off. Winners of prize packages and concert tickets will have their tickets re-entered for the final cash prize drawing.

The festival concludes with a fireworks display over the Merrimack River at 8 p.m.

A complete schedule is available at www.riverruckus.com.