Taste of Ottawa, music lineup leaving Riverfest

Taste of Ottawa and music lineups are being scratched off the list of what will be offered at this year’s Riverfest in Ottawa, despite an announcement earlier this year that the festival would continue as-is.

The scaled-back festival still will offer the parade, Jackson Street festivities and Art in the Park, among other events, according to a press release issued by the city Friday afternoon.

The city began exploring alternative structures for the festival after the 2018 Riverfest. In a September City Council workshop session, Mayor Bob Eschbach said a rough breakdown showed festivities cost $42,000, with Taste of Ottawa portion taking $26,000 of that sum.

In February, the City Council authorized Mayor Bob Eschbach to make Riverfest agreements. At that time, the mayor said the festival would “proceed mostly along the lines (it has) in the past.” The Riverfest Music Committee had been working on a musical lineup as of a February City Council report.

City officials cite declining attendance and revenues as the reason Taste of Ottawa is being discontinued. Eschbach said despite “great musical entertainment and good weather,” last year’s attendance was disappointing.

“It may be that the event has run its course or needs to be reinvented,” Eschbach said in a press release. “The idea is to take a year off and use that time to work on new ideas and then decide if the Taste will be resurrected in some form in 2020.”

When Taste of Ottawa first began, it was the city’s only major annual five-day festival, Eschbach said. He noted the city now has multiple events throughout the year, such as Morel Fest, Starved Rock Country Brew Fest, Wine and Jazz Fest and the Chris Kringle Market, among others.

This year’s Riverfest will begin Wednesday, July 31, with Welcomeburger in Washington Square, according to the Ottawa Visitors Center website.