“Celebrate the River” Concert
Honors the River and River Groups

Cottonwood AZ (September 14, 2016) – The 3^rd Annual ‘Celebrate the River’ Concert on Friday, September 23^rd, 7:00 pm, will begin the Old Town Center for the Arts 9^th Season and kick-off the Verde River Day Festival weekend. Musicians, artists and river advocates will gather for an evening of music, art, and a songwriting competition all dedicated to bringing attention to our most important natural resource – water, that flows from the Verde River & Oak Creek Water Basins.

Musicians Robin Miller, Susannah Martin, Patrick Ki, Dave Rentz, Greg Jiede and The Jerome Ukulele Orchestra will all present songs with a ‘river’ theme.  Co-Director of this event, Wendy Harford will also perform an original river song and introduce this year’s songwriter winner.

The event is organized by the Verde River Valley Nature Organization in collaboration with Old Town Center for the Arts, the Verde River Day Committee and Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce.  River organizations will be on hand to provide information about preserving and protecting the Verde River Basin and Oak Creek.  A special ‘river themed’ art exhibit featuring prominent local and regional artists will be on exhibit at OTCA for the concert and throughout October.

“The concert will feature some of the region’s best musicians,” OTCA co-Director William Eaton commented. “The music will celebrate the river, communities, business and organizations working to preserve and protect the river and for local water management.”

If you would like to perform in this concert there is still time to submit your song. Singer/Songwriters and Performance Poets / Story Tellers are invited to compete for one of 3 places awarded during the concert competition. You are challenged to write a song/poem/short story that uses the Verde River as its primary theme.  Three finalists will be selected to perform at the concert, and at Verde River Days, the Friday concert audience will vote for the grand finalist. The competition is open to all ages and created to support outreach and stewardship of the Verde River.  For a songwriter application and information contact: Wendy Harford at VRVNO.info@gmail.com.

“The Verde River and its tributaries is one of the only remaining year round rivers in all of Arizona,” co-Director of OTCA William Eaton commented.  “Yet, as some experts have acknowledged, we are using more surface and groundwater than is being naturally replenished back into the watershed.  Awareness and education about this situation is critical and fortunately there are many individuals, groups and organizationsob dedicated to preserving and protecting these waterways.  The concert will be a lot of fun and entertaining and also be a vehicle to spread awareness about these groups, their goals and visions, and how each of us can become better stewards of this beautiful valley, individually and collectively.”

If YOU would like to become a Business or Organization Sponsor or donate to this non-profit event please contact Wendy at VRVNO.Info@gmail.com for more information.

Concert and Ticket Information:

The 3^rd Annual Celebrate the River’ Concert will be held at the Old Town Center for the Arts on Friday, September 23^rd.  The show begins at 7:00 pm, doors open at 6:00 pm.  Attendees are invited to arrive early to see a pre-concert slide show and learn more about the Verde River and Oak Creek from representatives of the sponsoring organizations, who will be present to provide information and answer questions.

Tickets are available online at www.showtix4u.com.  Tickets are also available in Cottonwood at Desert Dancer and Mount Hope Natural Foods; and in Sedona at Local Juicery.  Old Town Center for the Arts is located at 633 N. Main Street (5^th Street & Main St.) in Old Town Cottonwood. For more information please visit oldtowncenter.org or call Elena Bullard at 928.634.0940.

Would you like to get involved?  Here is a brief summary of the sponsoring river organizations for the ‘Celebrate the River’ concert:  Website information is included to learn more about these groups and volunteer opportunities.

Verde River Valley Nature Organization  (VRVNO.org)

Verde River Valley Nature Organization (VRVNO) is dedicated to raising awareness of the Verde Valley region’s natural resources by providing recreation, education and nature tourism opportunities supporting the stewardship of the Verde Valley in Northern Arizona.  VRVNO is a new organization that sprung from the Verde Birding and Nature Festival, and is now the parent of that annual event, heading into its 15^th year. You can learn more at their website: vrvno.org

Verde River Basin Partnership (VRBP.org)

The Verde River Basin Partnership is a non-profit organization comprised of both individual members and entity members (public and private partners) whose goal is to support and preserve the long-term health of the Verde River and its watershed.  The organization uses credible science to provide educational outreach to help engage people and empower them to protect the Verde River Basin. The Partnership aims to secure the long-term health of Verde River Basin’s groundwater and surface waters, by assisting citizens and community leaders in exploring strategies and management practices that will sustain the Verde River system for all future generations.

Verde River Day Committee

Verde River Day was organized in 1988 to promote awareness of the Verde River’s distinctive riparian habitat, where 85 percent of all wildlife in the area looks for sustenance. Each year the Verde River Day Committee organizes an event that promotes preservation and care of the environment by showcasing informative exhibits on the Verde’s unique riparian habitat. This year Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood will celebrate its 27th annual Verde River Day on Saturday, September 26, 2015. Arizona State Parks has waived park entrance fees for all visitors attending the event. All of the activities are at no cost, thanks to the many exhibitors and sponsors.  Some of the day’s events include a climbing wall, organized canoe and kayak rides, sand castle building, and nature-based exhibits. Guests of all ages are welcome to fish in the lagoon that is loaded with hundreds of pounds of catfish. Poles, bait and tackle are provided for all ages. No fishing license is needed. There will be a wide range of entertainment throughout the day. For more information about Verde River Day, call (928) 634-5283 or visit verderiverday.com.