{{Short description|Annual festival in Cincinnati, Ohio, US}} thumb|right|Riverfest fireworks display in 2007 [[File:Riverfest Waterfall.JPG|thumb|right|Riverfest's famous 'waterfall' firework display off of the Newport Southbank Bridge]] The '''Cincinnati Riverfest''' (officially the '''Western & Southern/WEBN Fireworks''') is an annual festival that takes place on Labor Day weekend on the Ohio River at Cincinnati. It has taken place annually since 1977. The highlight of the event, the fireworks display at 9:05 PM, is one of the largest in the Midwest.<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.cincinnatiusa.com/Attractions/detail.asp?AttractionID=354 P&G Riverfest in Cincinnati USA.com | The Official Tourism Site of the Cincinnati Region<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The festival's corporate sponsors are WEBN (102.7 FM) and Western & Southern Financial Group.
==History== The fireworks display was first organized in 1977 by the late and great Frank Wood Jr. A.K.A. Dr. Michael Bo Xanadu as a gift for the listeners to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Cincinnati's 1st ever FM rockradio station WEBN.<ref>[http://www.webn.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=430712&article=8753874 History<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> It has now evolved into an all-day event is held every year on the day before Labor Day. Cincinnati Bell sponsored Riverfest from 2007 to 2014, when it was known as the '''Cincinnati Bell/WEBN Riverfest'''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2015/05/27/new-sponsor-webn-fireworks/28012751/|title=New sponsor for WEBN Fireworks|last=Murray|first=Sydney|website=Cincinnati.com|language=en|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref> Prior to that, Toyota was the major sponsor for the event (1987-2006), when it was known as the '''Toyota/WEBN Fireworks'''.
But in 2020 due to the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic, Riverfest was cancelled. However the fireworks still went on as usual, but in an undisclosed location. It was revealed to be the Kentucky Speedway.
==Activities== Riverfest is filled with many activities, including the Rubber Duck Regatta, in which hundreds of thousands of rubber ducks are released into the Ohio River to benefit the Freestore Foodbank.<ref>{{cite news|title=The 25th annual Rubber Duck Regatta winners have been announced|work=WCPO-TV|publisher=E. W. Scripps Company|date=September 1, 2019|accessdate=October 25, 2019|url=https://www.wcpo.com/entertainment/local-a-e/local-events/the-25th-annual-rubber-duck-regatta-winners-have-been-announced}}</ref> The festival ends with a gathering on the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio, Covington, Kentucky, and Newport, Kentucky to watch a half-hour fireworks show set to an underscore heard on WEBN.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y8S1LFG_KAEC&dq=insider+cincinnati&pg=PA155 | title=Insiders' Guide to Cincinnati | publisher=Globe Pequot | date=2007 | accessdate=2013-05-08 | author=Felix Winternitz & Sacha DeVroomen Bellman | pages=155| isbn=9780762741809 }}</ref> The fireworks are provided by Rozzi's Famous Fireworks Inc. The show attracts nearly 500,000 to the area every year.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Over 2,500 boats jam the river to get a front row seat for the show, and the river is patrolled by the United States Coast Guard, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and local units from Cincinnati and Covington. The river is normally closed between the Roebling Suspension Bridge and the "Big Mac" (Interstate 471) bridge.
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|https://webn.iheart.com/featured/western-southern-webn-fireworks/}} * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330160854/http://www.webn.com/pages/riverfest/history.html|date=March 30, 2016|title=WEBN Riverfest history}} * [https://rubberduckregatta.org/ Rubber Duck Regatta]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cincinnati Bell WEBN Riverfest}} Category:Festivals in Cincinnati Category:Festivals in Kentucky Category:Ohio River Category:September Category:1977 establishments in Kentucky Category:Annual events in Ohio Category:Music festivals established in 1977 Category:Fireworks in the United States Category:1977 establishments in Ohio
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