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Thrill to Thunder on the Neches tunnel boat races on the Neches River – unlike any sports event you’ve ever seen – plus feast on mouth-watering carnival food, and shop unique arts and crafts, enjoy a plethora of live music and much more at the Port Neches RiverFest at Port Neches’ Riverfront Park (620 Grigsby Ave.) now through Sunday, May 7.
Brought to you by Neches Federal Credit Union and the Port Neches Chamber of Commerce, this one-of-a-kind event features powerboat racing on thundering down the Neches River, fantastic food, vendors, carnival and the best variety of live music.
The annual event is already underway and gates will open at 5 p.m. (close at 11 p.m.) on Thursday, May 4, and performing at the Entertainment Complex Riverfront Stage are Rollin’ Bones, J.T. Reserve and headliner Shinyribs at 9:45 p.m. This Austin-based 9-piece (sometimes 10-piece) supergroup is led by Kevin Russell, the charismatic frontman with colorful suits and extravagant shoes who continuously swaps out an electric guitar for a ukulele and never falls short of creating a cinematic experience with on-stage antics that often include him donning a light-up cloak or leading a conga line through the crowd.
Carnival and vendor hours Friday, May 5, are 5-11 p.m. with scheduled musical acts Pea Patch Orchestra with Jivin’ Gene (7 p.m.), and popular Texas country bands Jason Boland & The Stragglers (8:30 p.m.) and headliner Wade Bowen (10:30 p.m.). For the past 20 years, Boland and his band have dazzled audiences all over as one of the leading ambassadors of the Oklahoma and Texas music movement. Millions of fans cheering him on, over 500,000 records sold independently and 10 albums later, Boland is a career musician whose legacy continues to grow.
Seen as one of the genre’s finest and most authentic modern voices, Bowen’s approach stays rooted in tradition, but also stands on the creative cutting edge. His focus remains on writing unique songs with a literary quality, and shifting his sonic territory to match his life. The hard-touring troubadour is constantly breaking new ground.
Power boats from the Southern Professional Outboard Racing Tour will compete for the Formula One Powerboat Championship and will begin testing on the Neches River on Friday, April 29, from 3-5:30 p.m.
Spectators can view the thrills, chills and spills of the power boat races on the Neches beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning with racing action throughout the day. Witness four classes of boats including Tri-Hulls, which are also known as “bumper cars on water,” J-Hydro, Formula 2 (SST-120) and Formula Lights (SST-45). Some of these racers can achieve speeds up to 120 mph.
The carnival grounds open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, May 6. The day will be filled with an array of attractions including the classic car show (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), Cutest Baby Contest (11 a.m.), Spiderman, Belle, and PN-G Indian Spirit character meet-and-greet (noon), demonstration by Tiger-Rock Martial Arts of Southeast Texas (1:30 p.m.), cornhole tournament (2 p.m.), performances by Amy’s Elite Dance Force (2 p.m.) and Debbie’s Dance (3 p.m.).
For those who love Cajun and Zydeco music, Saturday evening at the Entertainment Complex Riverfront Stage is the place to be with performances by Cajun Harmony (6:30 p.m.) followed by Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie (8 p.m.) and Jamie Bergeron & Kickin’ Cajuns. Bergeron has become one of South Louisiana’s most popular musical acts, having been awarded the Times of Acadiana’s Best Cajun Band an incredible 16 years in a row.
Fireworks will also light up the sky at 9 p.m.
RiverFest concludes Sunday, May 7, and Thunder on the Neches power boat racing continues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The vendor area will open at 11 a.m. followed by the carnival at noon, which closes at 6 p.m. A horseshoe tournament begins at noon as well as the presentation of the Miss Port Neches Pageant winners, Mother of the Year announcement, pet show (2 p.m.) and the washer board shootout (3 p.m.).
Shuttle service will be available to transport attendees from the parking areas near PN-G High School (1401 Merriman St.) to the festival entrance.
Admission to RiverFest is $10 for both Friday and Saturday (kids 12 and under are in free), with no admission charge on Thursday and Sunday.
For a complete schedule, view pnriverfest.com or call (409) 722-9154.
-Chad Cooper, Entertainment Editor