LORAIN – A small army of workers has descended on Black River Landing to prepare for the biggest party of the summer.
RoverFest, the annual summer concert of Cleveland radio show ‘Rover’s Morning Glory,’ sold out in 11 minutes when tickets went on sale in June.
Getting Black River Landing ready has taken considerably longer than 11 minutes, but as of mid-day July 25, things were going smoothly, said Rick Novak, executive director of the Lorain Port Authority, which owns the riverfront site.
‘RoverFest looks good,’ he said just before noon. ‘I see they’re up there on stage testing lights right now.’
The event is expected to draw about 13,000 people, with at least two groups in transit from Houston and Austin, Texas, for the event, said Shane ‘Rover’ French, host of the syndicated radio show on 100.7 WMMS speaking to The Morning Journal.
‘People are coming from far away to come to this,’ Rover said. ‘They’re going to get great entertainment, they’re going to get great music.’
Videos will play between performances by P.O.D., T-Pain, Trapt and Lil Jon. There also will be a show with contestants vying for the Miss Morning Glory Calendar.
‘Everywhere where you go here you’ll find something to do, and you’ll be entertained the entire time,’ Rover said.
The event site plan changed nine times in the last three weeks, said Ralph Bruening facilities manager and special events coordinator for the Port Authority.
And Rover noted Black River Landing is not without challenges for setting up.
For example, the area where the stage is set up slopes downward toward the Black River. The monument garden in the middle of Black River Landing also partially blocks the view of the stage.
However, Black River Landing also has adequate water and electrical power connections to support a large event, Rover said.
‘They did a great job with this place,’ he said. ‘Everything on this site is very well thought out. The infrastructure is great.’
On July 24, crews from Hughie’s Event Production Services and Aable Rents Co. set up the stage and at least a half dozen various tents. One of the tents will be a 7,000-square-foot ‘shack’ that is a microcosm of RoverFest with six video monitors and a sound system broadcasting the acts on the main stage, and women dancing on stage inside, Rover said.
‘And that’s probably one of the biggest tents you’ll ever see,’ he said.
There will be ‘massive’ video screens that will be visible even from the far south end of Black River Landing, Rover said.
‘Rover’s Morning Glory’ will spend $40,000 to $50,000 on the video production and it is something other concert promoters probably would not include, Rover said.
‘A concert promoter isn’t going to do that because they’re just trying to maximize profit, whereas, yes, we want to make profit, but we would much rather entertain people and have a great experience so that people keep coming back year after year,’ Rover said. ‘You’ll see this weekend we don’t pinch pennies on things.’
Trailers were on site for Superior Beverage Group and Great Lakes Brewing Co., along with at least seven recreational vehicles or camper trailers and 150 porta-potties.
There will be no access to the Black River from the site. Plastic fencing and water-filled barriers will be set along the eastern boundary of the site to block anyone from going in or out via the water.
The monument garden and some other areas of Black River Landing also will be fenced off to keep people out, Bruening said.
‘This was all their idea to do that stuff,’ he said. ‘They’re very considerate of our property.’
Bruening credited the Lorain Police Department and its auxiliary, the city administration and the Utilities Department for their help coordinating the event.
Lorain Safety-Service Director Robert Fowler said RoverFest visitors and Lorain residents should expect a strong police presence to ensure everyone has a safe and festive atmosphere.
‘Our objective is to make sure visitors to the city and those attending the event all have an opportunity for a safe and enjoyable event,’ Fowler said.
The last major variable was the weather. During preparations July 24, conditions were ideal, sunny with a breeze out of the northeast.
‘It’s going to be cool,’ Rover said that afternoon. ‘Now, we just need this weather. If we can order it up, we’ll be fine.’
As of noon July 25, the National Weather Service predicted the July 26 forecast was a chance of showers and thunderstorms and partly sunny, with a high near 84.
Wind would be from the south at 10 to 15 mph. The chance of precipitation is 50 percent, with new rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
RoverFest also will be live streamed on www.roverradio.com.
