ALTON - According to organizers, the second year of the renewed Mississippi River Festival was once again “magical.”
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On Friday, June 27, 2025, the Mississippi River Festival kicked off at 7 p.m. after a delayed start due to weather, featuring vendors, interactive art installations, food trucks, beer tents, and live music at the Alton Amphitheater. The fun continued on Saturday, June 28, with a minor midday rain delay. Organizers Nick Bifano and Zack Johnson were eager to welcome the thousands of people who traveled from across the region to enjoy the shows.
“This was our second year, moving into year three. It’s like, ‘Okay, what’s the best thing for this festival?’ But also, there’s this side mission of, ‘What brings the most honor to Alton, and then in turn, to the whole region?’” Bifano said. “I think we’re going to make mistakes along the way because we’re just humans trying to do cool stuff. But I can promise you that our hearts are in this and our intent is to really showcase our city, showcase the talent here, and then also bring incredible music from all across the country to our region.”
On Friday, June 27, Ben Rector headlined, supported by Wilder Woods and Allen Stone. On Saturday, June 28, attendees enjoyed Blackberry Smoke, Drew Halcomb & the Neighbors, Nikki Lane, Brent Cobb, Kassi Ashton, Jeremie Albino, Zach Person, and Riley Holtz & the Lost Cause.
Due to storms on Friday afternoon, the Writers’ Round and performances by Beth Bombara and Brian Owens Soul were canceled. Johnson and Bifano shared that while it “broke [their] hearts” to adjust the lineup, they are thankful for the artists’ flexibility and the volunteers’ continued morale through the weather delays.
“Just the attitude and the enthusiasm to make it happen. And all the while, our volunteers are hanging tough,” Johnson remembered. “People were just so full of joy.”
Johnson said that organizers recommended several restaurants, coffee shops, stores and other stops in Alton to the artists, who all “came back raving” about how much they enjoyed the town. He noted that their aim was to promote Alton, and they were eager to share the town with the artists and visitors.
Michael Snider, also known as Kooliverse, served as the MRF’s artistic director this year. Several of his art installations were at the amphitheater. He expressed his excitement to see the festival grow in the future.
“It is a really solid team,” he added. “We’re going to have some big-time, large-scale festival art stuff next year. We’ll hammer it.”
Bifano and Johnson echoed Snyder. They said they’re already thinking ahead to next year’s festival, and they can’t wait to see how it continues to evolve.
The history of the MRF is a vital part of this evolution. Bifano and Johnson shared that they’ve been working with Lyle Ward, one of the organizers of the original MRF in the 1970s, to shape today’s iteration of the festival. Ward helped curate an MRF history exhibit, currently housed in The Wedge building in downtown Alton.
Bifano expressed his appreciation for the support they’ve received from Ward, local and regional artists, and the City of Alton. He emphasized that they hope to continue supporting Alton’s art and music scene through events like the MRF.
“While we are very happy with what we did and where we’re at, we also have this sort of vision where we want to take this,” he added. “Alton may be small in comparison to the United States where you have these pockets of LA or Nashville or whatever. But I think there are people who are just insanely talented who are here, and I’m so happy that they’re latching onto the vision of the MRF and being patient with the progress as we really define and grow what this vessel is, what it’s going to become, and then know that all of their input to maintain that threshold of excellence is valid.”
For more information about the Mississippi River Festival, visit their official website at MississippiRiverFest.com.
