River Street Expo — a day of free music in Downtown Troy

TROY, N.Y. >> Art Fredette says he isn’t fond of clichés.

But he admits sometimes they are the best way to describe how you feel. About arts and entertainment, he says, “They are good for the soul because they bring people together.” That said, the pragmatist in him adds, “They’re also very good for business.

This understanding of the relationship between popular music and business is a major reason why River Street Expo will be taking place on Sunday, August 1, from noon-6 p.m. downtown Troy. It’s a free, allday music fest that is likely to bring thousands of people to downtown Troy.

It’s a two-stage event with continuous music taking place and vendors offering food, beverages and craft goods for sale. Fredette is using the same template that made Troy’s RiverFest a huge success for almost two decades. In fact, it, like RiverFest, takes place on River Street starting at Memorial Square and flowing to the lower end of the street.

It’s a formula that Fredette knows well. He, along with Jim Barrett and Dana Rudolph, was an original organizer of the first RiverFest back in 2003. He stayed involved with the event for over a decade before turning control of the festival over to the City of Troy. He explained because RiverFest had grown into one of the most popular outdoor free musical events in the area, it was more efficient for it to be a City of Troy event.

However, because of the COVID pandemic there was no festival in 2020. When he discovered there were no plans to have one in 2021, he felt it was time for private citizens to once again revive the popular street festival. “I’ve seen it happen too often,” he says. “If something disappears for two years there’s a good chance it won’t return. Anything that brings people to downtown Troy is too important to lose.”

Fredette serves as a morning music curator for the streaming radio station RadioRadioX and the station gave the festival its immediate and full support. Several other private sponsors stepped up to help and the River Street Merchants are also sponsoring the event. “It’s not costing the city one red cent” he says.

However, Fredette gives a lot of credit to the City of Troy, which he says has been “extremely helpful and supportive.” He lauds the officials at City Hall for their cooperation and helping to make his efforts as smooth as possible. Fredette says official guidance is necessary when planning a gathering of thousands of people.

“Safety is always a major concern,” he says, “especially coming out of a pandemic.” On the subject of the never-ending maze of necessary permits, he says, “I don’t know where we’d be without the city’s help.”

Fredette, who was born and raised in Troy, has been a downtown Troy businessman since the 1980s. He started with a record store and owned and operated several downtown bars, including Positively 4th on 4th Street, that offered live music. It is this background that makes him a viable spokesman for the business community about live concerts attracting people downtown.

“If people come here from places like Clifton Park, Delmar and even as close as Brunswick, they realize how much this city has to offer. Before long, even if it’s not for an event, they come to eat, dine and shop.

His understanding of area musical taste is on display 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday on RadioRadioX, It makes him the ideal person to select the talent for River Street Expo.

Because he knows public taste is varied, he purposely chose to present on two stages, with four acts on each stage. He says the two stages will not be performing at the same time, which gives people a reason to walk back and forth — sample the vendor offerings and explore the shops of downtown merchants. His major goal is that all the music be suitable for a family to attend. “We want exciting music, but the kind of music that can be enjoyed by all ages.”

On The Parkway Music Stage the music will be mellow. The acts are dominated by duos and acts that might not have high area profiles. Indeed, he points with pride to Soul Sky Duo who open the Parkway Music Stage, as this being their first public performance anywhere. “It’s great when you can give exposure to talented newcomers,” he says.

The Troy Grit Stage will have larger groups like the Johnny Rabb Big Band, The VaVaVoodoos, Zeffler and Anacortez. “Each group is a draw in their own right,” he points out. “All on the same stage, it should be a special day.”

River Street Expo takes place on River Street downtown Troy, Sunday, Aug. 1, noon-6 p.m. Free.