Bill and Cheryl Schenck, of McMinn County, Tenn., have been attending Riverbend for years.

“We like the old school rock ’n’ roll sound,” Mrs. Schenck said while whiling away the hours before the band America performed on the Coca-Cola Stage with the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera orchestra.

“As soon as the gates open I set up our chairs and she gets a dinner reservation,” he said.

The Schencks have honed their Riverbend routine over the years: a leisurely dinner, a stroll through the festival site — pausing to hear bands along the way — and people-watching before the headline acts perform.

“Before Bill retired, he’d take vacation time for Riverbend — this was our vacation,” Mrs. Schenck said. “This is the best bargain around.”