Chip Baker	- Download MP3-

Staff Photo by Angela Lewis Friends of the Festival intern Ashley King places numbers on VIP seating in front of the Coca-Cola stage on Thursday in preparation for Riverbend.

If meteorologists are predicting temperatures near 90 degrees, high humidity and evening showers, it must be time for Riverbend.

The city’s largest annual festival officially begins today at 4:30 p.m., when the Soddy-Daisy High School Marching Band will lead a parade through the main gates at Second and Carter streets.

Riverbend takes place over the next nine nights, primarily along the 21st Century Waterfront downtown. It will feature live performances from more than 100 artists and offer concessions and merchandise vendors. Other attractions include Riverbend Beach, which brought in 100 tons of sand for professionally constructed sand sculptures, and mobile exhibits such as the PlayStation Experience.

For 15-year-old Zane Webster, Riverbend is a chance to “hang out, meet up with friends and see a bunch of bands you wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.”

“Like last year, I never would have gotten to see ZZ Top, but they came to Riverbend,” he said. “This year, I want to see Willie Nelson and Train.”

Friends of the Festival Executive Director Chip Baker said it is too early to know for sure, but it appears that the event has weathered the poor economy that has settled over the nation for the past year. Sponsorship dollars, which fund most of the festival, have remained consistent, he said.

An early corporate pin sales campaign brought in about $700,000, which is in line with what it did last year, Mr. Baker said. He will not have pin sale totals until after the festival, he said, but each year 100,000 pins are manufactured.

“Certainly, the way we measure is through our early campaign, and we did equally as well as last year,” he said. “We are cautiously optimistic. Right now, I’m heartened with what I’m seeing.”

Returning festivalgoers will notice a few changes to this year’s site. Riverbend Beach replaces the Habitat for Humanity House that was built at the site the last two years. The kid’s stage is gone, and the TVA Showcase Stage has been moved from under the Market Street Bridge to the large, grassy area in front of Cold Stone Creamery.

The Bud Light Stage has been moved from one end of the concession area to the other to keep the sun out of the performers’ faces, Mr. Baker said.

“Every year we make some changes,” he said. “We keep trying to juggle the site to make it be as efficient as possible.”

As festival organizers make those changes, the Chattanooga Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office adapt as well, according to Lt. David Roddy with the Chattanooga special operations unit.

“As they move stages around, we make adjustments to our plan, but the overall plan has remained about the same for some time now,” Lt. Roddy said.

Helping law enforcement this year will be permanent and temporary video cameras that will allow officers to better observe the crowds and assess how to respond to any incidents that might arise.

“We will monitor them, and that will allow us to best distribute personnel,” Lt. Roddy said.