Dominion Energy Riverrock is returning to Brown’s Island this weekend, May 17 – 19. The event is in its sixteenth year and has become one of the premiere outdoor sports and music festivals in the nation. Dominion Energy Riverrock is free to attend and last year attracted over 100,000 spectators over the three days. There is also registration available for trail runs, mountain biking, yoga, dog jumping, and more at riverrockrva.org. The event is organized in partnership by Sports Backers and Venture Richmond.
Dominion Energy Riverrock has a full schedule of events happening throughout the weekend. Each day will end with a free concert from our headlining bands. Sam Grisman Project will perform on Friday, May 17 at 8:00p.m., EGGY (6:15p.m.) and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe (8:00p.m.) will take the stage on Saturday, May 18, and The Stews will close out the weekend on Sunday, May 19 with a performance starting at 3:40p.m. More local and national acts will be performing throughout the weekend on the Brown’s Island stage. You can see the full schedule of music at riverrockrva.com/event-categories/music/.
Festival Runs May 17-19 on Brown’s Island
The festival will open on Friday, May 17 at 5:00p.m. In addition to spectator events, Friday evening will include Subaru Ultimate Air Dogs, the Belle Isle Blitz 5k, and the MTB Time Trial. On Saturday, May 18 participants can join the Monsters of the James Fishing Tournament, the James River Scramble (10kish), Yoga presented by Reign Storm, MTB Enduro, Subaru Ultimate Air Dogs, Kayak Boatercross, and SUP Cross. Saturday also marks the start of Dominion Energy Riverrock’s newest event, the Cup of the East Kayak Polo tournament. On Sunday, May 19 those looking to take part in an event can do the Bust the Banks Half Marathon, Adventure Race, Yoga presented by Reign Storm, Subaru Ultimate Air Dogs, and the Downriver Paddle. The festival will officially end on Sunday at 5:00p.m. Throughout the weekend there will be stations called Adventure Zones where festival-goers can sign waivers to try free activities such as kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, slackline, bouldering, and guided group hikes. The Adventure Zones are open to all ages and are located throughout the festival.
The festival footprint will include Brown’s Island, Tredegar Street, the Belle Isle Parking Lot, and Kanawha Plaza. Throughout the event, festival-goers can expect a vast array of food trucks, to include many regional favorites: Westray’s Finest Ice Cream, Mark’s Airborne Kettle Corn, International Grill, Blue Ridge Island Noodles, Boka Tako, Goatocado, Strawberry Street Events, Timber Pizza Company, Va Vendor Food Services, Hawk’s II, Gelati Celesti, Mimi’s Ice N Custard, Nolia’s Lemonade, and Food Truck 1115. Hardywood Craft Beer, including the exclusive Riverrock Pale Ale, and Bold Rock Hard Seltzer will be available throughout the festival. Athletic Brewing will provide non-alcoholic beer. The majority of sponsor activations and vendors will be located on Brown’s Island, but can be found throughout the entire footprint. The festival map can be viewed at riverrockrva.com/venue/.
Dominion Energy Riverrock brings in notable athletes from across the country. The fan-favorite bouldering competitions, including the Boulder Bash and Speed Comp, boast nearly 45 athletes from 17 different states. The reigning female champion from the 2023 Boulder Bash competition, Yealiya Southern (Georgia) is returning to defend her title. Joe Goodacre (Colorado), the defending male champion in the Speed Comp will also be back this year. New in 2024, the bouldering competitions will be located at Kanawha Plaza. The Plaza’s green space provides another downtown Richmond venue that within close proximity to the James River and trail system. Slackline Trickline will also be at Kanawha and is expected to draw a sizeable crowd. Organizers are excited to see the festival expand.
Register for Events and View the Schedule
Online registration will remain available throughout the weekend. Those who wish to register for an event can do so online and then pick up their packet on-site at Dominion Energy Riverrock. All participants will receive a shirt and a drink ticket. Participants can pick up their packets for their events at the respective start areas of each event.
