A free community event!
A free community event!
FESTIVAL DAY
The last saturday of august
2-10 pm
Riverfront Park,
Fitchburg, MA 01420
The 5th annual River City Rhythm & Rock Festival was an incredible celebration of live music, community, food, and fun in the heart of Fitchburg!
What a Year for River City Rhythm & Rock!
From headliner Estee Nack, with a surprise appearance by Al Divino, to standout performances from Motif Alumni, Merrick Henry & The Anomalies, Big Boss, Jazzy Lion Man & Gommi J, and so many talented artists, our stages were filled with amazing energy from beginning to end. Artists joined us from across North Central Massachusetts, Springfield, Lynn, Southern New Hampshire, Delaware, and beyond.
The festival was about much more than music. Families enjoyed activities from the Youth Innovation Center / Making Opportunities Count, local food vendors kept everyone fueled, our Beer Garden gave festivalgoers a place to kick back, and our partners, DJs, MCs, staff, interns, volunteers, and production teams worked together to make the entire day possible.
A special thank-you to our sponsors NewVUE Communities and Rollstone Bank & Trust, along with Great Wolf Lodge for providing water park passes for our giveaways.
Most of all, thank you to every artist, vendor, partner, volunteer, family, friend, and festivalgoer who showed up and made the day so special. This is what community looks like, and we can't wait to do it again!
Support the festival year-round through our new online store, and mark your calendars — we'll see you on the last Saturday of August 2027!
Shoutout to Our 2026 Performers!
The River City Rhythm & Rock Festival is all about celebrating artists, and this year our Main Stage and Mill Street Stage were packed with talent from beginning to end! Every performer brought their own sound, style, and energy to Downtown Fitchburg, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who took the stage.
Our Main Stage featured John Gerard, Mark Internet Famous Belanger, Jake Daws, Skip of Tasteless Jack, Bone Crushin’ Dogs, Fewch & Dinero Lifestyle, Trouble With Parachutes, Merrick & The Anomalies, Fee The Evolutionist, Jazzy Lion Man ft. Gommi J, Motif Alumni, Syness and The Notorious Outsiders, International G, Y.P.W ft. Kai_CMB, AV-8 & Drtyanimal, Chons, Joe Grizzly, Death Over Simplicity, Q-Furb, and Estee Nack.
Over on The NewCentury & Friends Stage on Mill Street, hosted by Baeak & Bando, the lineup kept the energy going with Sam Bucked Up Universe, Sounds by Maxi, Gio, G3urin, Caasi, Austin Waters, BigMoley, Bando & Baeak, and OmgitsFendi & Friends.
From the first set to the final performance, these artists are what made the River City Rhythm & Rock Festival come alive. Thank you to every performer who shared their music, talent, and energy with us — and to everyone in the crowd who showed up to support them!
Photos by Audrey Pendleton-Chow
Photos by Deborah J Karson Photography
Photos JN Photography
Shoutout to Our 2026 Vendors!
The River City Rhythm & Rock Festival wouldn’t be complete without the incredible local businesses, makers, artists, food vendors, and community organizations who joined us! Our vendor area was filled with great food, unique creations, local resources, and plenty to explore throughout the day.
A huge thank-you to Dragonfly Designs, Katarina Artwork, J&S Creations, Sunflowerdilah, Lamacchia Realty, Taco Queen LLC, Making Opportunity Count – Youth Innovation Center, Saafyr | Gems & Jewels, Kats Kreations, Fenrex Forge, Sarahmiyah’s Sugar Scrubs, Dabble Studio, C&C Treats and Bakery, Jay’s Italian Ice, Rise & Grind Cafe, and Hangryz Food Truck.
Whether you were serving up something delicious, showcasing your creativity, connecting with the community, or providing activities for our younger festivalgoers, you helped make the festival an experience that went far beyond the music.
Thank you to every vendor who came out and helped make River City Rhythm & Rock such an incredible day!
Photos Bars Over Bars Media
Photos by Audrey Pendleton-Chow
& upload your own!
We’re already looking ahead to the 2027 River City Rhythm & Rock Festival, and we need your help to make the next festival our biggest and best yet!
What started as a grassroots idea has grown into a free, all-ages celebration of music, creativity, and community, bringing together dozens of artists and more than 1,500 neighbors, friends, and families in Downtown Fitchburg.
RCRRF is made possible by the generosity of our community. Your support today helps us start planning for 2027 now — covering stage and sound production, permitting and public safety, artist compensation, family activities, and everything it takes to keep the festival free and accessible to all.
Whether you donate, become a sponsor, shop our year-round festival store, volunteer, or simply help spread the word, every contribution helps us continue building a platform for artists and an unforgettable day for our community.
Help us keep the rhythm going. Support RCRRF 2027 today, and we’ll see you on the last Saturday of August!
Support the 2027
River City Rhythm & Rock Festival!
2025 Highlights
Experience the energy of multiple music stages, each echoing the diverse rhythms of our artistic community.
8.29.25 | Friday Showcase: 6-9pm at Canvas by CoFF33 Corp (326 Main St, Fitchburg, MA)
So many artists signed up, we will have a pre-show featuring JoE GriZzLy and Hosted by Yo Daddy Doe.Welcoming you to our new official venue, we are offering a REVERSE COVER! The first 50 attendees will RECEIVE $5 upon entry!
8.30.25 | Main Festival Day:
Main Stage: performances spanning a range of genres, featuring Freddie Stone & Friends, Fewch & Dinero Lifestylem Brandie Blaze, Vile Impulse, Thurston Consort, and K-Fingers.
Mill Street Stage
2-5pm The Festivalist Mic: The Openest Mic will have open sign ups to perform a short comedy, dance, poetry, etc. set at the Festival! Featured performances by:
3:30pm Comedian Logan Rau
4:00pm Death Over Simplicity (DOS)
The Cellar Presents Mill Street Music Stage:
6:30pm Networking
7-10pm One Headlight
2025 Event Schedule
Schedule, performances, and vendors subject to change without notice.
8.30.25 MAIN DAY | Riverfront Park
2 -10 PM, Commercial St, Fitchburg, MA
8.29.25 FRIDAY SHOWCASE | Canvas By CoFF33 Corp
6-9 PM, 326 Main St, Fitchburg
2:00 - 5:00 PM The Openest Mic presents The Festivalest Mic!
Featuring Death Over Simplicity & Stand Up Comedian Logan Rau. Be a part of the Festival and sign up on the day of to do a casual, 2-5 minute set. All ages and talent levels welcome, all art forms and genres embraced! Poetry, prose, interpretative dance, reiki, comedy, whatever you want to share, share!
Featured performers:
3:30 PM Stand up Comedian Logan Rau
4:00 PM Death Over Simplicity
6:30 PM - 10:00 PM The Cellar presents Mill Street Music Stage
6:30pm Networking
7:00 PM One Headlight
8.30.25 MAIN DAY | Mill Street Stage
2 -10 PM, Mill St, Fitchburg, MA
2:00 PM K Fingers
2:30 PM The Thurston Consort
3:05 PM Trouble With Parachutes
3:45 PM Tasteless Jack
4:05 PM Abby Waterhouse
4:20 PM BLVIR
4:40 PM Merrick Henry
4:50 PM The Anomalies
5:00 PM Internet Famous Mark Belanger Music
5:20 PM Vile Impulse
5:55 PM Amarylis
Video Art Installation by Looks Legit begins.
6:05 PM Provenance
6:25 PM Shepards
6:50 PM S.G. & Burgfam
7:10 PM NEWCENTURY (N2K)
7:40 PM Brandie Blaze
8:05 PM Q-Furb
8:25 PM AV-8
8:45 PM Fewch & Dinero Lifestyle
9:10 PM ScΔLΣ$
9:20 PM Freddy Stone with Phthalo Blue
Additional Attractions
Great Wolf Lodge Raffle! Enter to win 4 Waterpark Passes ($400 value) at the festival!
Video art installation by Looks Legit for main stage acts after sunset
Nick Nogueira Beer Garden: Enjoy the live music and outdoors drinking a cool beer.
Local Cuisine and Crafts: Delight in a range of local food vendors including Dat’s Fire BBQ, El Punto Latino, Centro Celeste’s Choripan & Beverages, Monte’s Candy Clouds (Cotton Candy), and The Frosty Flyer Ice Cream.
Vendor Village: Visit our vendor village where local artisans and businesses showcase their crafts, jewelry, skincare, apparel, merchandise, henna and facepainting, a mini escape game by Curious Escape Rooms, and more.
Family Zone: A family-friendly area ensures fun for attendees of all ages, with activities like lawn games, a bouncy house.
Henna Artistry and Face painting
Curious Escape Rooms "Smore or Less" pop up game - free thanks to the Fitchburg Cultural Council
Food & Drink: Free ice cream from The Frosty Flyer, Choripan and beverages from Centro Celeste, Dat's Fire BBQ, El Punto Latino, and cotton candy from Monte’s Candy Clouds
2025 Vendor Village
ABA Centers of America - Fitchburg, MA
Ambient Soul
Fidelity Bank’s The Frosty Flyer
Gem & Jewels
Henna Artistry/artify_bytasha
Icarus
Laurel Sketches and Danodraws
Monte’s Candy Clouds
NCMFBCC & Emily MacRae
Rustic and Modern
The Opal Moon Shop
Up From the Mud
Youth Innovation Center
2025 Sponsors
