Steamboat Days Carnival returns to Burlington this week. Here's what to know before you go.
You can start your summer fun early with a carnival and live music this week at Burlington's riverfront.
Brought by Burlington Riverfront Entertainment, the four-day Steamboat Days Carnival starts Wednesday in the parking lot south of Burlington Memorial Auditorium.
The Bushnell, Illinois-based carnival, Boden Amusements, will feature rides and food from 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.
Saturday's carnival will be open 1 to 4 p.m. and then from 5 to 10 p.m.
Unlimited-ride armbands will be available for $25 from 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Saturday evening will be tickets only from 5 to 10 p.m.
Even though the Steamboat Days music festival is gone, event organizers wanted to honor the long-time community event by keeping the name with the carnival.
With TIGER grant-funded improvements involving the Memorial Auditorium north parking lot underway, the biggest challenge for BRE was finding an area for the carnival.
"We got it figured out and it's going to work out just fine," BRE Assistant Director David Kroll said.
Non-profit Burlington Riverfront Entertainment manages and brings live music and events to the City of Burlington's riverfront properties.
Also in the south parking lot, two nights of free, live music sponsored by Menke & Company CPA will be Friday and Saturday.
Yes, there is room for people to gather and have fun.
"With the construction happening, we scaled things back a bit, but the back parking lot behind the auditorium is a lot bigger than a lot of people realize and we’re always up for trying something new. It worked well at Friday Fest last month," Kroll said.
Live music to include boy band tribute, country and rock
Whether your music tastes run to country or rock and roll, BRE will have you covered, all for free.
On Friday, the June Friday Fest will feature new southeast Iowa rock band Jarrod Hogan & South 55 at 5:30 p.m. followed by Iowa rockers New Trick.
Then on Saturday, everyone is invited to dress up in their favorite '90s boy-band attire and come down for the Boy-Band Tribute show, with an all-female rock band opening.
Kicking off the night on the Menke and Co. stage is an all-female rock band, Been There Done That, starting at 5:30 p.m.
The Boy Band Night will start around 9 p.m.
In the 1990s, a number of boy bands had tremendous mainstream success and dominated that decade's pop music charts.
If you (secretly or not) love their music, you can channel your inner teenybopper and sing and dance the night away.
In fact, if you dress up on Saturday night in your favorite boyband and '90s outfit — remember scrunchies, acid-wash jeans, tube tops, and Capri pants? — you can win some fun prizes.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase on the grounds.
BRE won't stop 'til summer is over. In fact, it just keeps going all year round, bringing locals entertainment.
Its calendar has more free Friday Fests set for 5:30 p.m. July 22 featuring LP33; and 5:30 p.m. Aug. 26 with music by Duke Oursler.
The event schedule also includes Heritage Days Sept. 16 and 17.
"We’re bringing back the Dog Beauty Contest, the Brew Fest, the Civil War demonstrations and of course, good food and free live entertainment ending with a Bruno Mars Tribute show," Kroll said.
For more information, visit www.burlingtonriverfront.org.
This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Steamboat Days Carnival, live music return to Burlington riverfront
