July 30, 2023

Rockin’ the Riverfront, the brand new summer series by Gateway Arch Park Foundation, wrapped up its first season on Saturday.

The Foundation initiated the series with the two-fold goal of enhancing the visitor experience for Gateway Arch patrons while adding vibrancy to the St. Louis Riverfront for St. Louisans. It ran every Friday and Saturday from June 2 to July 29.

The Foundation successfully booked 19 live performances by four local bands, including Kasimu Taylor, Kinfolkandthem, and Miss Jubilee. And the DJ karaoke offerings on Saturdays created fun memories for lots of passers-by and groups of young people.

Most notably, the new event “Black Girl Recess” that the Foundation helped facilitate saw more than 200 people of all ages dancing and grooving in front of the Mighty Mississippi on June 10.

And nearby concessionaires reported their best business in years thanks to the activity that the series attracted to the St. Louis Riverfront.
 

“We started this series to build on the momentum that’s going on at the Arch grounds,” said Foundation executive director Ryan McClure. “Visitation is incredibly up over the last year, up over 30%. We’re building on that and making sure visitors to the Arch and the riverfront and the riverboats have great amenities great and music to enjoy.

“One of the ways that we do that is free programming,” he continued. “That’s at the core of what we do. We want to ensure that everybody coming down to the Arch has enjoyable experiences and has reasons to come down again and again."

Check out our next musical event at Gateway Arch National Park: Blues at the Arch Festival, Aug. 11-12, with a bonus Blues Brunch on Aug. 13!