This year we decided to go back to the country acts because there’s a lot of interest in that, and there’s a real following in this area for country music. We’re excited to see people come out with in their cowboy hats and cowboy boots, dressed to the nines for a great event.”

Scott Northard

The event will get underway at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14.

Tickets are available at rivertownlive.com.

Check the Hastings Rotary Facebook page to see how you can volunteer to help.

Tickets are on sale for what’s going to be the hottest show of the summer in Hastings.
The Eighth Annual Hastings Rotary Club’s Rivertown Live brings big names to the banks of the Mississippi River, and this year’s lineup might be the biggest yet.
The Rotary’s “concert for a cause” will be headlined by country acts Diamond Rio, with special guest Little Texas on the main stage, with Slamabama playing on the Pavilion Stage. The event will get underway at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Tickets are available at rivertownlive.com. Presenting sponsor is Hastings Ford/Hastings Chrysler.
Diamond Rio was founded in 1982 as a feature in the Opryland USA theme park. Their first single release, “Meet in the Middle” made it to number one on the Billboard Country charts.
They charted four more Billboard number ones over the years: “How Your Love Makes Me Feel”, “One More Day”, “Beautiful Mess” and “I Believe."
Little Texas formed in 1988 in Nashville. They are best known for their hit “God Blessed Texas” which made it to number one on the charts.
Both bands have toured continuously over the years, playing to nostalgic fans and packed houses.
Slamabama is a high-energy country-rock band from Fargo. The band tours year-round and is a feature at many music festivals.
The Hastings Rotary Club held a live reveal on the club’s Rivertown Live Facebook page Friday at Hastings Chrysler. After building up the announcement, emcee Brian Schommer dropped the big news.
“Let’s get the party started,” he said.
Club members urged residents to get tickets early, especially VIP and reserved seats, because it’s going to be a big night.
“It’s great country acts, and it’s going to be a honky-tonk night. Everybody’s going to have a great time,” said Scott Northard. “It’s an iconic location down on the Hastings riverfront. Everybody just raves about the sun setting right during the show. We’ve got the river behind us, the beautiful Rotary Pavilion Stage and the grounds with food vendors and just a lot of great, fun things to do. We’re really looking forward to a good turnout this year.”
Jim Weinzettel echoed those sentiments.
“We’re just really excited this year, and we seem to be kicking off early and have a lot of momentum
for this year’s concert. We feel really good about what we can provide this year for the community and the surrounding area in terms of a country setup,” he said.
The event has featured big names over the years, with Chicago, the Guess Who, Foghat, Gabby Barrett and Sarah Evens.
“This year we decided to go back to the country acts because there’s a lot of interest in that, and there’s a real following in this area for country music. We’re excited to see people come out with in their cowboy hats and cowboy boots, dressed to the nines for a great event,” said Northard.
Weinzettel credited business sponsors for helping make the event happen.
“We could never do this without Hastings Ford-Chrysler and some of the other businesses around town. They’re just so supportive for us,” he said.
The event requires a lot of volunteer effort, with more than 100 community members, organizations and high school athletes stepping up to help. The event is always looking for volunteers. Check the Hastings Rotary Facebook page to see how you can help.