30+ years running! Featuring must-see national acts and standout local opening artists, these free, un-ticketed outdoor music events are held on five consecutive Sunday evenings in downtown Rochester, Minnesota along the Zumbro River.
Stellar music, gorgeous green space, plus local food vendors and giveaways. These shows are for everyone, and we hope to see you in the park!
Save the dates - we'll see you next year! 2025 dates:
Intro Text
ON SALE: August 10 (Members)/August 24 (Public) TICKETS: $28/$31 The eldest daughter of country music icon Johnny Cash and stepdaughter of June Carter Cash of the legendary Carter Family, Rosanne's musical and family legacy is rooted in the very beginnings of American country music with its deep cultural and historical connections to the south. Her own thoughtful, genre-blurring approach, which encompasses country, rock, roots, Delta blues, gospel, Appalachian folk, and pop influences, has garnered her a Grammy, twelve Grammy nominations, and eleven No. 1 singles. She received Smithsonian’s American Ingenuity Award in 2014. Sponsored by: Shop Rochester & KXLT Fox 47
ON SALE: August 10 (Members)/August 24 (Public) TICKETS: $28/$31
The eldest daughter of country music icon Johnny Cash and stepdaughter of June Carter Cash of the legendary Carter Family, Rosanne's musical and family legacy is rooted in the very beginnings of American country music with its deep cultural and historical connections to the south. Her own thoughtful, genre-blurring approach, which encompasses country, rock, roots, Delta blues, gospel, Appalachian folk, and pop influences, has garnered her a Grammy, twelve Grammy nominations, and eleven No. 1 singles. She received Smithsonian’s American Ingenuity Award in 2014. Sponsored by: Shop Rochester & KXLT Fox 47.
With The River and the Thread, Cash has added the next chapter to a remarkable period of creativity. In 2015, Cash was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and was awarded three Grammy Awards, where her album won for ‘Best Americana Album’ and the track, "Feather’s Not a Bird", which she co-wrote with her longtime collaborator (and husband) John Leventhal, won for ‘Best American Roots Performance’ and ‘Best American Roots Song’. Her last two albums, Black Cadillac (2006) and The List (2009), were both nominated for Grammy Awards; The List—an exploration of essential songs as selected and given to Rosanne by her father, Johnny Cash—was also named ‘Album of the Year’ by the Americana Music Association. In addition, her best-selling 2010 memoir, Composed, was described by the Chicago Tribune as "one of the best accounts of an American life you will likely ever read".
Cash, who has charted 21 Top 40 country singles, including 11 Number Ones, wrote all of the new album’s songs with John Leventhal, who also served as producer, arranger, and guitarist. Featuring a long list of guests—from young guns like John Paul White (The Civil Wars) and Derek Trucks, to such legends as John Prine, Rodney Crowell, and Tony Joe White—The River and the Thread is a kaleidoscopic examination of the geographic, emotional, and historic landscape of the American South. The album’s unique sound, which draws from country, blues, gospel, and rock, reflects the soulful mix of music that traces its history to the region.
"When we started forming the idea for this record", says Cash, "it felt like it was going to be the third part of a trilogy—with Black Cadillac mapping out a territory of mourning and loss and then The List, celebrating my family’s musical legacy. I feel this record ties past and present together through all those people and places in the South I knew and thought I had left behind".
As the themes and subjects of The River and the Thread emerged, Cash gradually envisioned how she wanted to connect the dots into a cohesive work, connecting her own story to the rich history of a region. "I guess I weave in and out of these songs, in a way", she says. "I don’t think I had a complete map of it, but John really became a guide. We would write something and say, ‘This is part of the geography, both emotional and physical’".
Rosanne Cash acknowledges that, even with fifteen albums and four books behind her, it was difficult to start writing songs again after spending several years immersed in the masterful compositions featured on The List. "You cannot keep that in your mind, except as an inspiration, a standard to aspire to", she says. "To say, ‘I’m going to write a song as great as "Take These Chains"’—you’re not! So the only way to not get dismantled by that is to stay connected to your own muse, and immerse yourself completely in what you’re doing so it can be as rich and authentic as it can possibly be. That’s all you can hope for".
With The River and the Thread, she has risen to that challenge—and emerged with a beautiful and haunting album, one of the finest works in an extraordinary career.
John Leventhal is a Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, songwriter, and recording engineer who has produced albums for Rosanne Cash, Michelle Branch, Shawn Colvin, Joan Osborne, Marc Cohn, Rodney Crowell, and many others. As a musician he has worked with all of the above as well as artists such as Elvis Costello, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Bruce Hornsby and Charlie Haden. As a songwriter he has had over 100 songs recorded by various artists. In 1998 he won the Grammy for ‘Record and Song Of The Year’ for producing and co-writing the song "Sunny Came Home". He lives with his wife Rosanne Cash and their children in New York City.
CART captioning will be available here or via QR code in the park. Please bring a data-connected digital device (phone, tablet, laptop) to access this streaming service.
Assistance with CART will be available at the Public Music tent. Please contact Public Music for questions about additional accessibility accommodations.
Where
All concerts take place in Mayo Park, located in downtown Rochester behind the Mayo Civic Center. Concertgoers are encouraged to walk, bike, or roll to the shows if possible.
when
Save the dates - we'll see you next year! 2025 dates:
July 13, 2025
July 20, 2025
July 27, 2025
August 3, 2025
August 10, 2025
Music will begin at 7 p.m. and conclude between 9:30 and 10 p.m.
Food vendors will be onsite at 6 p.m. Come early to get food from local vendors and choose your spot in the park!
cost
Concerts are free and open to the public!
Meet & Greets
Interested in meeting the headliners? We partner with local radio stations to give away FREE backstage passes. Check here for information about how to win a pass.
Giveaways
On opening night, stop by the Think Bank tent to receive a FREE, limited edition Riverside Music Series t-shirt! Shirts are available in limited quantity - arrive early to be sure to get one!
And at each concert, Think Bank gives away a FREE electric guitar autographed by the headliner. Enter the giveaway by completing a survey by 7:45 p.m. on show day. Surveys can be completed at the Think Bank tent, by visiting the survey webpage, or by scanning a QR code at the event. Must be present to win.
Directions & parking
Mayo Park is directly accessible from nearby walking paths and bike trails, and concertgoers are encouraged to walk, bike, or roll to the shows if possible.
Ample free parking is available nearby, with public ramps, on-street meters, and City-owned surface lots all free to use on weekends and evenings. Accessible parking is available in all public parking ramps, and several designated accessible parking spaces are available on Civic Center Drive. Additional information about parking is available on the Mayo Civic Center website.
Seating
Space in the park is available on a first come, first served basis. Come early to choose your spot! We do not allow the use of ropes or stakes to reserve space.
We encourage you to bring lawn chairs or blankets to the events; seats are not provided.
items to bring
Coolers, food, drink, lawn chairs, blankets, and other items to make your experience more comfortable are welcome and encouraged. Please leave grills and pets, with the exception of service animals, at home.
concessions
Local food and beverage vendors will have a variety of options for sale. Vendors will be onsite at 5 p.m.
Smoking
Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is strictly prohibited in Mayo Park.
Restrooms
Restrooms inside the Mayo Civic Center will be available for use. Entrances to the indoor restrooms are on either side of the stage through doors marked 16 and 19.
Additional portable toilets are located in the park near the food vendors.
Weather Policy
Concerts will take place outdoors rain or shine. Ponchos are preferred over umbrellas to keep sightlines unobstructed. In the case of threatening weather, the concert may be delayed, postponed, or, as a last resort, cancelled.
For weather related updates the day of the event, please check our event updates page or social media accounts.
Soliciting
In order to make our events enjoyable for all, we respectfully request that public and private parties refrain from campaigning or soliciting at the Riverside events. We appreciate your consideration.
Down by the Riverside has been sponsored by Think Bank since 2008.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.