MONEY TROUBLE MAY CANCEL RIVERFEST

Unless financial backing is secured this weekend, the 21st annual Riverfest event could be canceled when organizers meet Sunday.

"It is a definite concern at this point," said Phyllis Lipscomb, president of the Cape Girardeau Riverfest Association. "We are scheduled to meet Sunday, and we're going to review where we are then."

Lipscomb said Riverfest has never been canceled before. The event is in jeopardy this year due to lack of sponsorship and few volunteers, she said.

In recent years, sudden rain storms on opening night have caused poor turnouts, and the association had to dip into fund reserves to cover expenditures. This year, the reserves just won't cover the $55,000 needed to put on even a scaled-back version of the event, Lipscomb said.

Riverfest typically costs about $75-80,000 each year.

"We just haven't had the support from the community," Lipscomb said. "We have scaled it back to the point where we could still have a Riverfest, but we'd still run short. If we get the sponsorship we could pull it off with no problem -- we've got everything in place."

Each year, the Cape Girardeau Riverfest Association selects a theme and organizes a two-day festival in the downtown area. This year, Riverfest is scheduled to take place June 11-12.

Organizers selected the theme "Then and Now" to reflect on the event's 21-year history and the region's rich Mississippi River history.

Riverfest includes strolling bands, five stages where entertainment acts will perform, crafts, food booths and a carnival. For the second consecutive year, Riverfest organizers opted to provide several stages of entertainment featuring local bands playing different musical genres instead of one large act.

No water activities have been held during Riverfest for the past three years.

Lipscomb said several corporate sponsors have signed on to provide in-kind and financial support for the event, but much more help is needed. Sponsors may back a particular events -- like the fireworks display, entertainment, or children's activities -- or provide funding for the overall festival.

"We've always had a runover from previous years that we used to get everything going, but due to the rain, we suffered from the loss of beer and carnival sales, and this year we simply can't do it," she said.

Volunteers also are necessary to make Riverfest a success. If sponsorship is obtained for the event, a massive volunteer effort will be needed to help with set up, trash detail, and to work the booths.

"It takes a large effort," Lipscomb said. "There's 11 board members and we're all volunteers. The rest comes from the community, people wanting to help with Riverfest."

To sponsor a Riverfest event or volunteer during the festival, or for more information, call the Riverfest office at (573) 335-1388. An answering machine will record all calls, which will be promptly returned.