[MCN] NEWS ALERT // 12th annual River City Roots Fest Set for August 25-26, 2017

[Kalina Wickham]

*12th annual River City Roots Fest Set for August 25-26, 2017*

Downtown Missoula Festival Welcomes UM Students & More



The 12th Annual River City Roots Festival will hit the streets of Downtown
Missoula Friday and Saturday, August 25-26, and this admission-free
festival celebrates all that is amazing about Missoula, Montana.

The 2017 iteration of Roots Fest features the award-winning *John Jorgenson
Bluegrass Band* as Friday night’s headliner and New Orleans-native *Anders
Osborne* as Saturday night’s headliner. This year’s lineup will also see
the return of *Taj Weekes & Adowa* from the Caribbean Islands, returning to
Missoula six years after making their initial appearance at Roots in 2011.

“This year’s Roots Fest lineup showcases a wide variety of Americana music
and showcases entertainers from all across the country,” said Ellen
Buchanan, Festival Chair, MDA Board Member and Director of the Missoula
Redevelopment Agency. “From California to Maine, from the Carribbean
Islands to Provo, Utah, our talent for this year’s Music on Main is
spectacular!”

The Main Stage will also feature one of Missoula’s favorite – the Whizpops
– as well as Missoula up-and-coming band Rotgut Whines. Additionally, both
Tangled Tones and the ZACC will showcase some of their best kids’ bands on
the Main Stage Friday afternoon.

Roots Fest officially commences on Friday, August 25 at 11 am with the
Family Fun Festival in Caras Park, the Art Show on Main Street, and the
Food Court on Ryman Street. The Art Show is the largest ever with 35
different artists showcasing their work. Kids from Tangled Tones and the
ZACC will perform Friday between 12 noon and 1:30 pm on Main Street.

Roots Fest is admission free and full of family-friendly fun thanks to
support from more than 30 Missoula-area businesses that sponsor the event.
The festival celebrates all Missoula has to offer, including exceptional
arts and culture, healthy living, sustainability, and local food and
beverages. Major sponsors include the Missoulian/Missoula.com, the Trail
103.3, Gecko Designs, Big Sky Brewing, Bob Wards Sports and Outdoors,
Destination Missoula, and First Interstate Bank.

The festival also features a Four-Mile Fun Run, produced by Run Wild
Missoula, on Saturday, Aug. 26. The race kicks off at 8:30 am and is
sponsored by DJ & A, Farran Realty Partners, First Security Bank, and the
Runner’s Edge.  The race will feature a new route for 2017 that will start
at the intersection of East Main and Higgins and finish in Caras Park. The
race will loop runners near Silver Park and the Old Sawmill District and
then follow the Riverfront Trail to Caras Park.  Folks can register today
at rivercityrootsfestival.com, and all registration fees support the
running club.

Festival-goers can bike, walk, and bus to Downtown Missoula, thanks to
Zero-Fare Mountain Line, great bike parking, and trails and sidewalks
throughout the community. Additionally, all public parking will be free of
charge throughout Roots Fest weekend, thanks to the Missoula Parking
Commission.

Food and beverages are available for sale at the festival. Those who are
age 21 and older can purchase a wristband and a signature, reusable Roots
Fest cup for $8, and the first drink is free.  Nearly twenty (20) local
food vendors will be available for folks to purchase food both on Ryman
Street and in Caras Park.

To support sustainable practices during the festival, Roots Fest has once
again teamed up with Climate Smart Missoula and the City of Missoula to
showcase simple actions that leave the festival, community, and planet
cleaner, safer, and healthier.  Initiatives such as eliminating straws at
the Roots Fest Street Bars, having a carbon-neutral stage, selling reusable
cups, and All-in-One Recycling bins are just a few of the sustainability
initiatives this year.  Green sponsors include HomeBase Montana, Mountain
Line, NorthWestern Energy, and Territorial Landworks.

For more information, visit rivercityrootsfestival.com or call 406.543.4238.

**See attachments for the full schedule of events at the River City Roots
Festival**

*Kalina Wickham*

*Customer Service Coordinator*

Downtown Missoula Partnership


218 E Main | Missoula, MT

406.543.4238 | missouladowntown.com <http://www.missouladowntown.com/>
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