It’s Time for the 76th Rio Vista Bass Derby & Festival

Fall is here, which means the 76th Rio Vista Bass Derby & Festival is just around the corner! It’s all happening Friday, October 11 through Sunday, October 13. And don’t forget to join us for our kickoff dinner (A Night in Rio) on Thursday, October 10, as we honor two hometown heroes, Rio Vista Chief of Police, Jon Mazer and Archie Thompson, founder and manager of the group The Rio Vista Litter Pickers. Solano County Sheriff, Tom Ferrara, is expected.

While the Bass Derby fishing contest is taking place, (more on that in another article), there will be something for everyone as the Bass Festival is happening on Main and Front Streets.

For starters, the location of the beer garden, music, and food vendors has been moved to the riverfront, next to the Promenade. There will be a large tent with tables and chairs inside and the beer garden nearby. Food vendors and the Starlight Stage will surround the tent and a dance floor will be in front of the performers for 3 days of music, dancing, food, drinks, and fun with the river and our bridge as a beautiful backdrop. Musical groups performing over the weekend on the Starlight Stage include: the River Ratz, Angela Street Band & local guests, Garratt Wilkin & The Parrotheads, the Derek Abel Band (DAB), the Fabulous CruiseTones, Vegas McGraw, Groovy Judy, Afterglow, and The Grinders. The band Terminous will perform on the stage located in the “Pole Barn” on Sunday, October 13 from 2:15 – 3:00 pm.

Adult beverages sold in the beer garden will include Coors Light, Modelo, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Lagunitas IPA, and Blue Moon. There will also be a selection of wines for sale, and, of course, margaritas. Food vendors will surround the tent and you will have a large selection of yummy delights from which to choose.

This year we will have 2 areas for the kids and young adults: Kidz Zone 1 (in the Dolk parking lot) and Kidz Zone 2 (in the Pole Barn). Zone 1 will have a 25’ Half Dome climbing wall, a 40’ obstacle course, and a video game truck. Zone 2 will have a bouncy house for kids 5 and under, arts & crafts tables, and a stage for performances and demonstrations, such as Powers Performing Arts, Little Stars Academy, and on Sunday, October 13 from 2:15-3:00 pm, the band Terminous will perform. Right outside the tent area (on Front St.), you will find our many vendor booths selling arts & crafts, jewelry, garden art, toys, photography, minerals & fossils, wood signs, succulents, clothing, totes, bags, sunglasses, and much more. There will be information booths too, with brochures and/or demonstrations for boating, home loans, gutters, solar, raffles, and the Coast Guard, to name a few.

Flu vaccinations will be offered by Kaiser Permanente; their van will be parked on the corner of

Sacramento and Front Streets. They will be here on Saturday, October 12 ONLY. You don’t need to be a Kaiser member to receive a flu vaccination and there is no charge. Everyone is welcome! Please note this is for flu vaccinations only; no COVID vaccinations will be offered.

The Western Express Railroad train will again be in service to bring you to the various events and vendors occurring on Main and Front Streets on Saturday and Sunday. This is a wonderful way to see the Festival and to give your feet a rest. This is a free service. Speaking of transportation, we will have the Delta Breeze picking up and dropping off in Trilogy, Liberty, and Homecoming neighborhoods.

Saturday is, of course, the busiest day of the weekend. Starting at 7:00 am, the Rio Vista Lions will sponsor a

pancake breakfast which will be served at the Rio Vista Fire Department. Then step out onto Main St. for the Car Show, also sponsored by the Lions Club (beginning at 8:00 am). Once you’ve seen all the great cars check out our downtown businesses and all the vendors selling their wares or providing information. After a full day at the festival, relax at approximately 8:45 pm to enjoy one of the highlights of Bass Festival, the beautiful fireworks show. The fireworks will be launched from the Dutra barge in the river. Let the “oohs” and “ahhs” begin. This should be a spectacular combination of lights and colors bursting overhead.

Sunday brings the magic of our quaint hometown parade. This year we are lucky enough to have the Shriners with their miniature cars and crowd-pleasing antics. Our hometown heroes will be in the parade as well. Rio Vista Police Chief Jon Mazer, our Grand Marshal, will be on horseback, accompanied by the Solano County Sheriff’s Posse. Our “Heart & Soul of Rio Vista” recipient, Archie Thompson of the Rio Vista Litter Pickers, will also be in the parade. Be sure to wave and give them your thanks for their contributions to making our little town both safer and litter-free! We’re looking forward to a great parade this year!

Please remember to shop Bass Festival weekend at the “Catch of the Day” Rummage Sale, being held at 45 Main St. This is the Rio Vista Food Pantry’s main fundraising event; there are some great bargains to be had. If you have items to donate between now and Bass Festival, please call them at 707-374-5706. The Soroptimists will be holding their annual meat raffle during the Festival, too.

The Bass Derby & Festival doesn’t just happen by itself, like a lot of other events in town, it’s through the efforts of many volunteers that this happens every year.  As we finalize plans, we still need volunteers to work the event, so if you can give us a little time, we would be grateful and you would have a part in making the Bass Derby & Festival a success.

We are also in need of sponsorships to pay for the music, fireworks, etc. This event has become increasingly more expensive to run and, unfortunately, our funds fall far short of what we need to continue to put on such an event. The expenses for this year’s event are close to $100,000 and while sponsorship money received so far will cover much of the expense, it won’t cover it all. For instance, the fireworks alone will cost $15,000; music expense is $16,000 and we haven’t even seen the insurance estimate. If you are able to help us out with a donation, no matter the size, please let us know. We love this town and if want to make this the best Bass Derby & Festival ever, but we need your help. Thank you so much and here’s to a great 76th Bass Derby & Festival!

For more information, please call the Rio Vista Chamber of Commerce at 707-374-2700.