Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus is an annual festival featuring live music, Classic Cars, Kids Zone, great local foods, and spectacular fireworks over the Merrimack River.
September 24, 12:00 PM – 8:30 PM, at Riverfront Park in Haverhill’s Riverfront Cultural District and Washington Street
Follow River Ruckus on Facebook for the latest news and announcements about the Band Lineup and Set Schedule, the Classic Car Show, the Fireworks, the Food Vendors, our Awesome Sponsors, and Family Fun. Please LIKE and SHARE to spread the buzz!
Please note: Washington Street will be closed to all traffic from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm on Saturday for the Classic Car Show. We will post reminders and parking information as we get closer.
Interested in helping at River Ruckus as an ‘event day volunteer’? Please click here!
Thank you for NOT SMOKING at Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus.
Festival Timeline of Events
12:00 – 8:30 PM, Riverfront Park
Time Event
| 12:00 – 3:00 pm | Classic Car Show Sponsored by Haverhill Bank | Washington Street |
| 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | Haverhill High School Crew Exhibition – See the HHS Crew team show-off their skills live on the mighty Merrimack River | on the water – Riverfront Park |
| 12:00 pm | Haverhill High School Chorus – The day kicks off with the “Star Spangled Banner” and three songs from Imagine Dragons performed by the Haverhill High School Chorus | River Ruckus Stage |
| 12:00 – 3:00 pm | Kids Zone Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Traveling Touch Tank, Paint Me – Free Paint, Bouncy House Basketball, Professional Balloon Artist, Face Painting, Tye-Dye Shirts, Child ID Services, and more! | Columbus Park |
| 12:00 – 8:00 pm | Beer & Wine Garden True North NE Juicy Hazy IPA, Bud Light and a special Octoberfest brew (TBD), as well as Bud Zero (non-alcoholic). Hard seltzer, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines also available | Riverfront Park |
| 12:00 – 8:00 pm | A Taste of Haverhill Food for sale by local restaurants & vendors | Riverfront Park |
| 2:00 – 3:30 pm |
Riverfront Cultural District Talks 2pm – “The Great Haverhill Fire of 1882” – History talk presented by The Buttonwoods at Wingate corner of Columbus Park. 2:30pm – “Her Voice Carries” – Mural talk presented by Sarah Lovasco of SJ Art Consulting – at 43 Washington Street. 3pm – “The Haverhill Petition” – History talk presented by local historian E. Phillip Brown at 25 Essex Street. 3:30pm – “Essex Street Gateway Mural” – Mural talk presented by Jeff Grassie of Team Haverhill at 25 Essex Street. |
| 12:30 – 8:00 pm | Live Music Great live performances brought to you by 92.5 The River. See the Band Line-up for set times | River Ruckus Stage |
| 8:00 – 8:30 pm | Fireworks Spectacular A spectacular Fireworks display over the Merrimack River Best. Fireworks. Ever. Sponsored by New York Life. | RiverWalk and Riverfront Park |
Our Sponsors
Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors:
Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus 2022 – Platinum Sponsors
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Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus 2022 – Gold Sponsors
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Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus 2022 – Silver Sponsors
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Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus 2022 – Bronze Sponsors
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This program is supported in part by a grant from the Haverhill Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus 2022 – Live Music Partner
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2022 Schedule of Events
Live Music
Classic Car Show
Kids Zone
Historic Walking Tour & Art Talks
River Ruckus Beer and Wine Garden
A Taste of Haverhill: Local Food Vendors
Fireworks Spectacular
Live Music
12:00 pm – 8:00 pm on the River Ruckus Stage
WXRV 92.5 the River once again brings a great lineup of bands to the River Ruckus Stage.
| BAND LINE-UP | |
|---|---|
| Start Time | Appearing |
| 12:30 pm | Danielle Miraglia |
| 1:45 pm | Liz Bills & The Change |
| 3:15 pm | Kurt Baker |
| 4:15 pm | Delta Rae |
| 6:00 pm | The Jayhawks |
Stage management provided by DreamWeaver Presents.
Classic Car Show
12:00 – 3:00 pm, Washington Street
The Classic Car Show brings over 50 cars to Washington Street. Antiques, classics, muscle cars, hot rods, specialty cars and their proud owners gather for the afternoon.
Once again, HC Media’s Frank “I’m just along for the ride” Novak will do a car commentary for HC Media, channel 22, Haverhill. Let us know in advance with a post to River Ruckus on Facebook and tell us what kind of car you are bringing and Frank will talk about your car on the air! He will talk to you, too, and you can see the show later on tv!
Team Haverhill appreciates the ongoing support of Haverhill Bank as the sponsor of the Classic Car Show for the sixth year.
Kids Zone
12:00 – 3:00 pm, Columbus Park
Kids Zone activities include Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Traveling Touch Tank, Bouncy House Basketball, Professional Balloon Artist, Face Painting, Lightsaber Building Workshop, Tie Dye shirt and Bracelet Making, Paint Me! Free Paint, Child ID services, and more!
The Kids Zone is organized by Haverhill YMCA.
Professional face painting from Fun Face Express will be at the festival as well as Ryan’s Bright Light Novelties, with glow toys before the fireworks.
Historic Walking Tour & Art Talks
2pm – “The Great Haverhill Fire of 1882” – History talk presented by The Buttonwoods at Wingate corner of Columbus Park.
2:30pm – “Her Voice Carries” – Mural talk presented by Sarah Lovasco of SJ Art Consulting – at 43 Washington Street.
3pm – “The Haverhill Petition” – History talk presented by local historian E. Phillip Brown at 25 Essex Street.
3:30pm – “Essex Street Gateway Mural” – Mural talk presented by Jeff Grassie of Team Haverhill at 25 Essex Street.
River Ruckus Beer & Wine Garden
True North NE Juicy Hazy IPA, Bud Light and a special Octoberfest brew (TBD), as well as Bud Zero (non-alcoholic). Hard seltzer, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines also available.
Thank you for not smoking in the River Ruckus Beer Garden.
A Taste of Haverhill with Local Food Vendors and Beer & Wine Garden
12:00 – 8:00 pm, Riverfront Park
| Vendor | River Ruckus Menu |
| la Pizza di Forno | Pizza, fruit cups, baklava |
| River Street Café | Syrian pockets: Chicken salad, caprese, steak & cheese and veggie |
| Polish Prince Perogi | Pierogi cooked to order |
| Eclectic Clam | Stuffed clams, fish cakes and crab cakes |
| Kona Ice | Shaved ice with do-it-yourself Flavorwave |
| Chicken Connection | Chicken fingers, burgers and fries |
| Carter’s Ice Cream | Homemade ice cream |
| Casa Blanca | Burritos, guacamole and walking nachos |
| Home Made Hummus | Multiple varieties of homemade hummus |
| Hard Body Meals | Turkey chili and peanut butter protein balls |
| The Bakers Rack | Brownies, bars and cookies |
Fireworks Spectacular
8:00 – 8:30 PM, Riverfront Park
BEST. FIREWORKS. EVER. Boom!…boom boom boom Boom!
Festival Backstory
River Ruckus was born at Possible Dreams in January of 2010 as a “dream” of bringing the community together for a day of family fun along the Riverwalk and the Riverfront Cultural District; to boost the local economy; and to boast about what Haverhill has to offer. A team of dedicated Team Haverhill volunteers pulled together the first event in August, 2010.
Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus was an immediate success and has grown in numbers of guests, volunteers, sponsors and participants every year.
We have taken two breaks. A hiatus in 2012 due to the rolling out of the Essex Street Gateway Mural that spring, and another in 2020 due to the CovID-19 Pandemic.
Our original festival mascot was “Sammy the Sturgeon” chosen because there are sturgeon living in the Merrimack River in the environs of the Bassiliere Bridge. While the sturgeon used to be prolific in the river, it is now protected as an endangered species. Sammy is pictured in our former logo and he still appears at the festival to the delight of the children.
Our logo conveys the spirit of the River Ruckus: our love for the mighty Merrimack River, our passion for live music, and the excitement and spectacle of the fireworks over the river. It’s a great representation of the festival – a great day of bringing our community together – on the river.
Look through the photo gallery for memories of past events.
The Facebook wall is open so post your stories and photos and tag us (#teamhaverhillsriverruckus) in your pictures! We’d love to see them!
