The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
READY FOR ROVERFEST
Black River Landing transforms for event
Preparations are nearing completion as Black River Landing transforms to become the site of RoverFest.
The Lorain Port Authority’s waterfront festival site has limited access this week as the crew from Rover’s Morning Glory prepares for RoverFest X.
Cleveland radio personality Shane “Rover” French touts the event as the biggest party of the summer.
Gates will open at 1 p.m., July 21, with performing musical acts Shinedown, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil John, Big Boi from Outkast, All That Remains and Red Sun Rising.
Comedian Bert Kreischer is guest host.
The event is sold out and a crowd of up to 20,000 people is expected.
Before any of that happens, Black River Landing must add a stage, cabanas, dozens of portable toilets and the movable metal gates to corral partygoers into beer tent lines.
The site layout largely is
“Rover, the group, that channel and everything has got such a reputation; they’re really professional.”
— Lorain Port Authority Executive Director Tom Brown
similar to the RoverFest show of 2016, said Lorain Port Authority Executive Director Tom Brown.
Preparation this week was relatively smooth because this will be the fourth RoverFest in Lorain, Brown said.
“They’ve just got it down to a system, because this is the fourth one,” he said.
Despite their rowdy personas on the radio every morning, French and his staff are professionals when it comes to preparing for the concert.
“Rover, the group, that channel and everything has got such a reputation; they’re really professional,” Brown said. “Great, cordial conversations. They ask for something, I try to help them. They’re great.”
The afternoon of July 19, workers were scattered over the site setting up food trucks and the main stage area.
There were a number of recreational vehicles parked in what will become the backstage area for bands and guests.
Unlike in past years, roverradio.com as of July 19, did not post a map showing suggested parking areas.
There will be no public parking available at Black River Landing, Brown said.
However, in years past, there were a number of free parking spaces and lots around downtown Lorain, he said, and it appeared those same areas will be available this year.
The main entrance gate is on Black River Lane in the area of the middle of the site, roughly the area of Black River Landing that would be between Fifth and Sixth streets.
At the north end of Black River Landing, the area around the Port’s white canopy stage will be a rest area away from the action of the main stage, Brown said.
“This will be a relaxing area, take a break from the mayhem,” he said.
No one will be allowed onto the Port stage, Brown said.
The Black River Landing Transportation Center will become the internal
headquarters of Rover’s Morning Glory on site, but it is not open to the public.
Docking will not be allowed on the banks of the Black River near the concert.
There will be marine patrol boats on the river during the show, and especially during the fireworks at night, Brown said.
A line of portable toilets form a barrier between the grassy area of the stage and the river, so festivalgoers cannot get to the shoreline.
“Water hasn’t been an issue, not that I want it to become one,” Brown said.
Like much of northern Ohio, the grass at Black River Landing has suffered from the recent hot weather.
“We could use a couple good soaking days of rain. After Saturday,” Brown said, although a sprinkle on July 20 would help soften the ground a bit for the show July 21.
The Port Authority will get about $8,000 for a fiveday rental of Black River Landing, he said.
Rover’s Morning Glory will pay the Port’s regular rate of $2,600 for the day of the event and $1,300 for the preparation days.
The Port likely will get some more money for incidentals, such as reseeding grass or for a bench that was hit by a beer truck, Brown said.
But the Port but does not make a huge amount of money from the show, he said.
As for nearby stores and restaurants, Brown said he hopes they have their doors open and music playing for people walking past and possibly stopping in to shop.
Although he served as a Port board member before becoming executive director, Brown said he never has attended RoverFest. This will be his first.
Despite the size of the show, most of the concert additions will be gone by 8 a.m., July 23, Brown said.
“Come Monday, when you come into work, 99 percent of everything’s gone,” he said. “Starting Saturday night, and then all day Sunday, all this stuff leaves.
“It’s pretty impressive how quickly they get out of here.”