Could On The Waterfront Ever Return To Rockford?

After a 29-year run, On the Waterfront officially ended Labor Day weekend in 2012. Could On the Waterfront make a successful comeback in Rockford after more than a decade?

Should On the Waterfront make a comeback?

Even though the iconic festival officially ended in 2012, it's an event we still talk about like it was yesterday. For nearly three decades, On the Waterfront brought nationally known artists, carnival rides, food vendors, and huge crowds to downtown Rockford over Labor Day weekend. For many families, it wasn't just another festival... it was a tradition.

Of course, bringing back a festival of that size isn't as simple as flipping a switch.

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On the Waterfront began as a small street party in 1984, did you know that? That was before it grew into a full-scale festival in 1985. After the 29-year run, the festival was closed with more than $340,000 in debt, citing rising entertainment costs, increased security expenses, and the overall cost of producing a large event.

This is the announcement they posted to Facebook in 2012.

Even if the community wanted it back, organizers would still face some major challenges:

Booking artists people actually want to see
Covering today's much higher (and growing) security costs
Paying vendors and event staff
Finding enough sponsors to make the event financially possible

STILL, plenty of Rockford residents say the memories alone make the idea worth considering. One Facebook, so many people shared that they would love to see the festival return.

One person wrote, "Yes! Was just talking with friends about this over the weekend. We all talked about having great memories from the waterfront and thought it would be a great thing to bring back!"

My friend Juliette said, "I loved it. Miss it, but it was a lot of planning, money, etc. It would have to have really good sponsorship to make it viable."

Others suggested bringing it back every other year instead of annually to combat competing with other local festivals and to give organizers more time to plan.

Not everyone believes it would work in today's environment, though. Some pointed out that security costs have skyrocketed since 2012 and that vendors would need to be fairly compensated, making the event much more expensive than many people realize.

Nonetheless, we miss it (not everyone, but a lot of us!).

"I think a large scale music festival like On the Waterfront would be awesome to bring back! I would love to see it happen!" - Mariah A.

"Having it on the holiday weekend was awesome as a visitor however. Bands. Security, labor in general all costs more over labor day weekend. These costs were part of why it folded up. I still want it back. But maybe this 815 thing is our best shot." - Nick N.

Whether it ever happens or not, one thing is clear: On the Waterfront definitely still holds a special place in the hearts of so many Rockford families! What do you think? If On The Waterfront returned, what would you want to see this time around?