Celebrate Life on the Mighty Cumberland River! Stay Tuned for 2024 Details!
The River Festivus is a community event that was created to celebrate life on the mighty Cumberland River in Burkesville, Kentucky. This annual multi-day event offers multiple ways to have fun.
August 16-17 • 2024
Featuring The Marshall Tucker Band!
The Marshall Tucker Band came together as a young, hungry, and quite driven six-piece outfit in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1972, having duly baptized themselves with the name of a blind piano tuner after they found it inscribed on a key to their original rehearsal space — and they’ve been in tune with tearing it up on live stages both big and small all across the globe ever since. Plus, the band’s mighty music catalog, consisting of more than 20 studio albums and a score of live releases, has racked up multi-platinum album sales many times over. A typically rich MTB setlist is bubbling over with a healthy dose of hits like the heartfelt singalong “Heard It in a Love Song,” the insistent pleading of “Can’t You See” (the signature tune of MTB’s late co-founding lead guitarist and then-principal songwriter Toy Caldwell), the testifying “Fire on the Mountain,” the wanderlust gallop of “Long Hard Ride,” and the explosive testimony of “Ramblin,’” to name but a few.
To learn more about the River Festivus like and follow "River Festivus" on Facebook. Also stay tuned to WKYR 107.9 and this website for updates.
Schedule of Events
Friday August 16
4:00 pm • VENDORS OPEN
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm • REGISTRATION FOR EVENTS OPEN
6:00 pm • BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Saturday August 17
7:30 am • 5K REGISTRATION
9:00 am • 12 MILE RIVER RUN
9:30 am • 7 MILE RIVER RUN
10:00 am • VENDORS OPEN
10:00 am • RIVERBOAT REVUE
10:30 am • FESTIVUS FLOAT
10:00 am - 4:00 pm • CRUISE-IN
12:00 pm- 4:00 pm • TROUT FISHING TOURNEY
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm • KID’S CASTING DERBY
12:00 pm • JEEP RIDE
1:00 pm • CROSSCUT SAW COMPETITION
2:00 pm • DRY LAND BOAT RACE
4:00 pm • RIVERBOAT REVUE
6:00 pm • BATTLE OF THE BANDS WINNER
8:00 pm • THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND
Featured Events
Top 5 entries will be announced on July 22, 2024. A list of rules, regulations, and scoring criteria for the live competition will be sent to those acts after the public announcement has been made.
TOP 5 ENTRIES WILL PERFORM IN A LIVE COMPETITION IN BURKESVILLE, KY ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2024. Each band in the Top 5 will have 45 minutes on stage. Each band will complete their sound check and performance during that allotted time. Order of performance will be determined by a random draw. A house kit consisting of drum set and bass amp will be provided for the competition, as well as professional stage lighting and sound.
Showboat’s a comin’! Showboat’s a comin’!
The Riverboat Revue is a beloved Burkesville tradition that predates River Festivus by DECADES - started in the late 80s by a wonderful group of local artists and dreamers and now presented by our very own Burkesville Academy of Fine Arts! The Cumberland Queen stage has been host to generations of local talent and we can’t wait to see what’s coming down the river this year!
Cast entirely by local kids and teens, the Riverboat Revue features town history, silly skits, and tons of great music guaranteed to have you singing and dancing along! You’ve got two chances to see the show on Saturday, August 17 - at 10 AM and 4 PM - but no two shows are ever exactly the same, so catch them both if you can!
Have you signed up for the Festivus Float yet?
Well, what are you waiting for?! We love a good competition, but if racing’s not your thing, FLOATING is the perfect way to get on the water. No experience needed - so whether you’re a veteran paddler or a total newbie, the Festivus Float is for everyone! And you’ll go home with great memories and some River Festivus swag just for signing up!
Sponsored by Jeffery Humble for State Representative District 21 LEARN MORE HERE!
When you’ve finished the River Run, ditch the paddle and get ready to ‘row’ your boat Flintstone-style in the wackiest regatta this side of the Cumberland!
CBCC will provide the boats, you provide the man power! Challenge your friends, coworkers, or rivals and see who got it in them to take home the CASH PRIZE!
Don’t forget to bring your littles - we have kids division too!
Register at the CBCC table inside the walking track on August 19 beginning at 1:30 PM. Race starts at 2 PM.
Sponsored by Citizens Bank of Cumberland County
Get ready for a BRAND NEW ADVENTURE at River Festivus 2024!
Our Festivus Fun Run(sponsored by Sulphur Creek Resort & Marina) is an ‘Amazing Race’ style quest that will take competitors from the banks of the Mighty Cumberland into the hills and hollows of our stunning surroundings to find clues, solve puzzles, and complete wild, family-friendly challenges!
Teams of two will compete in a trek across the county using a list of designated ‘road block’ locations. At each destination, the teams must complete their choice of tasks, and collect a passport to move on to the next location. Some tasks are physical, some are mental, but all are inclusive to a wide range of capabilities. When teams have collected their final passport ticket, they’ll dash back to River Festivus headquarters to compete in one Final Challenge. The first three teams to accomplish this mission will win some AMAZING prizes and be announced on stage at our Battle of the Bands!
- 1st Place: FREE 3-Night stay in a private cabin at Sulphur Creek Resort, FREE pontoon rental from Sulphur Creek Marina, AND $500 CASH
- 2nd Place: $300 CASH
- 3rd Place: $150 CASH
$20 registration fee per team. Each participant will receive an EXCLUSIVE River Festivus Fun Run t-shirt as part of the registration!
*All teams MUST sign a waiver. At least one person on each team MUST have proof of a driver’s license and valid automobile insurance. River Festivus does not condone unsafe driving practices. We encourage all participants to drive safely, obey ALL traffic laws, and be aware of your surroundings.
CRUISE IN to Burkesville for River Festivus weekend!
We’ve got great music, tons of fun, and the perfect opportunity to show off your wheels! All makes and models are welcome!
Attention All Anglers!
The Cumberland River is, without a doubt, the premier trout fishing destination in Kentucky and our Festivus Fishing Tourney gives you the chance to show off your trout catching talents!
Will YOU be the one to hook the winner?!
*The fishing tourney will be held ONE WEEK BEFORE River Festivus to keep boat traffic to a minimum during the kayak races. (08-10-24)
Call Aaron (270-459-3193) or Willie (270-459-3171) to enter today!
Test your limits at our Run for the Hills 5K/10K! With three courses to choose from, there’s a challenge for everyone!
Last year’s race drew runners from 7 different states and we want YOU to be a part of it in 2024!
Course 1: The ORIGINAL Festivus 5K course - a challenging but beautiful jaunt overlooking the city of Burkesville. Runners will travel up, over, and back on the gorgeous Alpine Hill.
Course 2: A less strenuous alternate route - perfect for runners/walkers who prefer flat ground.
Course 3: The BEAST! A 10K combo of the first two courses, where runners will tackle the infamous Alpine Hill and then KEEP GOING!
Online pre-registration is highly encouraged, however, in-person registration will also be available on race day (08-17-24). Registration begins at 7:30 AM at the Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center on Hill Street. Race starts at 8:00 AM. All participants will receive a custom bib and medallion. Overall men’s and women’s winners will receive a River Festivus t-shirt!
T-shirts will also be available to purchase at the Welcome Center.
The River’s ready - are YOU?!
Our very first event - and where River Festivus got its humble beginning - was The Mighty Cumberland River Run. It remains one of our feature events, drawing paddlers from all over the country who want to enjoy an early morning adrenaline rush on one of the prettiest stretches of the Cumberland you’ll find.
Thank You to Our 2024 Sponsors:
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