Get ready to rock out at the Shipyard Music Festival on Saturday

The Shipyard Music and Culture Festival will rock downtown Cape Girardeau on Saturday.

Rustmedia, a marketing media partner of the Southeast Missourian, is bringing you a music festival like you've never seen in Cape Girardeau. Our hope is that it grows over the years, but we want to make the first year special. Gates open at 11 a.m. and concerts will go on throughout the day.

We've invited seven national touring bands, all of whom are on the cusp of taking the next step into stardom. They are talented teams of musicians, ranging in styles and genres.

We've worked hard to make this not just about the music. There will be good food from some of our area's most popular restaurants, and beer on tap from Kohlfield Distributing and River Eagle. There will be interactive experiences, games and chances to win prizes. There will be photo ops, a hydration station (free cool water), a place to charge your devices and places just to hang out and enjoy one of the best views of the Mississippi River in the state of Missouri.

This event is more than a year in the making. We've worked with professional event organizers to help recruit the artists. With help from promoters, we're turning a two-block area near the Common Pleas Courthouse, now called Ivers Square, into one big party platform. Entrance to the Shipyard will be at Broadway and Lorimier. In addition to street parking, there will be shuttles going to and from Isle Casino Cape Girardeau's parking lot with pickup stops at Broadway and Main, Independence and Main, and at city hall.

If you haven't purchased your tickets, there is still time to do so before having to pay $10 more at the door. Go to www.shipyardfest.com to find out more about the event and purchase tickets. Children 10 years and younger get in free, and there will be special play areas for the young ones. This promises to be a fun and engaging event for anyone who loves music and food.

We hope to see you at Shipyard.