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The Riverfront

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The most happening place in Peoria all summer is along the Illinois River

It wasn't much more than 15 years ago that the Peoria riverfront had just two or three activities scheduled during the entire summer.

One of them was Steamboat Days, the other was Blues Fest, said Bill Roeder, head of riverfront activities for the Peoria Park District, which oversees most of what goes on along the Peoria riverfront.

Now, Roeder said, "We have events slated for every single weekend from the end of May through the end of September. Most weekends, you will find multiple events going on at the riverfront. There will be a lot for people to choose from."

The unofficial kickoff to riverfront events each year is the Louie Louie Parade, which will be kicking off Memorial Day weekend for the 25th year this year. It's an annual event that raises money for the St. Jude Midwest Affiliate and the Illinois Valley Striders. Participants wear wacky outfits — many in suits coats and ties with shorts, carrying briefcases while tooting the Louie Louie theme on kazoos.

While it once was a parade around a few downtown Peoria blocks, the parade now starts at City Hall at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 25 and ends at the CEFCU Stage at the Landing on the riverfront, followed by a music jam.

"From that point on there is not one weekend until the end of summer when we don't have something scheduled on the riverfront. Sometimes there are four or five things on one weekend," Roeder said.

The unofficial end to the summer riverfront season is the annual Art Fair at Liberty Park on the last weekend of September. The Art Fair draws artists and works from across the nation. It moved to the riverfront in 1998 from Junction City and that move helped jump-start the growth in riverfront events the last 15 years.

What changed in that time hasn't been so much marketing as it has been the city and Park District providing enough facilities for the events, Roeder said. Marketing and promotion has played a big role, he added, but there first needed to be adequate facilities to host the events and the crowds.

"The city came in and built some facilities and opened up the riverfront to all kinds of activities. That was really when things started taking off down there," he said. "We agreed to manage it and we try and make sure it all runs smoothly. It has made quite a difference for the entire community."

The facilities to which he referred include the Gateway Building at the foot of Hamilton Boulevard and the CEFCU Stage at the Landing, between Hamilton and Main Street. It is the only outdoor stage along the Illinois River in this region.

Another is the James Baldwin Riverfront Festival Park, upriver a touch from The Landing. It is often the scene of festivals in that it has the space for people to walk around without bumping into each other — provided the event in question doesn't draw more than 50,000 people, like the July 4 celebration does each year.

While the new Peoria Riverfront Museum and Caterpillar Visitors Center will not be open until October and thus not be part of this summer's riverfront activity calendar, Roeder said the Park District already has started talking with Museum Square officials about how they can work together to further enhance what the riverfront offers residents and visitors.

"We hope there will be a lot of synergy from that project. We believe we'll be able to help each other out tremendously. They want traffic and there are a lot of surveys that show the riverfront is Peoria's top tourist attraction," Roeder said.

He doubts, however, that Museum Square will mean much in the way of riverfront events considering how full the schedule already is. "There are not a lot of open dates any more where we can add a lot of events. But we are always trying to find ways to make the events we already have better," Roeder said.

The city and Park District seldom profit from the riverfront activities, he added. "But the big thing is the economic boost all these events give not only to downtown but to the whole community, the whole region," he said.

Other venues include:
• Constitutional Gardens, at Adams and Spring Street. A commemoration of the U.S. Constitution, it is a 50-acre riverfront site that can host many events, such as the annual Dan Fogelberg Memorial Picnic.

• Liberty Park, a gazebo at the foot of Liberty Street built by Ameren Illinois (when it was still CILCO) is an elegant spot for outdoor weddings or other gatherings. Just know that while it can be booked for private events the surrounding area is open to the public. It also is the venue for the Riverfront Farmers Market, which is open Saturday mornings, 8 a.m. to noon, from June through September and includes fresh produce from area farmers as well as other products, local art displays and live music.

• Riverfront Marina, at the foot of Main Street and next to where the Spirit of Peoria docks, is open to boaters who want to come ashore to partake of the riverfront events. Slips are open on a first come, first served basis.

• The Riverplex is a recreation and fitness center just north of Festival Park that offers daily passes as well as memberships.

• The Contemporary Art Center on Water Street has venues for art and music, including Live at the Five Spot and the Rhythm Kitchen, an eclectic restaurant that features live music on weekends.

• The Waterhouse, which is down Water Street from Liberty Park, offers entertainment on weekends, including live theatre. In that building is Rhodell Brewery and next door is Kelleher's, which each summer hosts the Street Party on Water Street between State and Walnut streets Wednesday through Saturday nights.

• Horse and buggy rides as well as Segway rides and tours are available during the summer, as well, along with two- and four-person cycles. They start at the foot of Main Street.

• A walking and biking trail starts at Festival Park and goes to historic Springdale Cemetery.

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