- April 19, 2024
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Tim Bonney with Seashore Seafood serves the crowd a variety of food at the Riverfest Seafood Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ericka Hall and Trinity Jones with Seashore Seafood serve the crowd at the Riverfest Seafood Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Nathan Trumphour waits for the kids to arrive at the Riverfest Seafood Festival in Ormond Beach. Photo by Michele Meyers
October Broadway, 13, teaches children how to cast at the Riverfest Seafood Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Gabriel Hicks cast into the Halifax River at the Riverfest. Photo by Michele Meyers
Abigail Hicks explains that she hasn't been fishing long as she waits to catch a fish at the Riverfest. Photo by Michele Meyers
Travis Konarik teaches kids how to cast at one of Kid Fish's free fishing clinics during the Riverfest weekend. Photo by Michele Meyers
Heather and Summer Franklin fill a heart with colored sand in the Kid Zone at the Riverfest. Photo by Michele Meyers
Kids and adults make their own heart necklaces in the Kid Zone at the Riverfest. Photo by Michele Meyers
Heather and Summer Franklin finish filling the heart with colored sand in the Kid Zone at the Riverfest. Photo by Michele Meyers
Denise Weisner demonstrates the practice of Falun Dafa at the Riverfest Seafood Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Samantha Stevens does some axe throwing at the Ormond Beach Riverfest. Photo by Michele Meyers
After trying axe throwing for the first time at the Celtic Festival, Noah Stevens tries it again at the Riverfest. Photo by Michele Meyers
Thad Harris, owner of the Harri Axe, a mobile axe throwing business. Photo by Michele Meyers
Manning the Ormond Garage booth at the Riverfest is a family affair with Billy Latella, Lauren Ingerto and Jasper Latella. Photo by Michele Meyers
Lauren Ingerto and Jasper Latella enjoy a moment at the Riverfest. Photo by Michele Meyers
Grand Theft Audio entertains the crowd at the Ormond Beach Riverfest Seafood Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jimmy Lodise with Grand Theft Audio entertains the crowd at the Ormond Beach Riverfest Seafood Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Grand Theft Audio entertains the crowd at the Ormond Beach Riverfest Seafood Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Riverfest revelers relax in the Yuengling beer garden. Photo by Michele Meyers
Lili Agostino serves Yuengling draft in the beer garden at the Riverfest. Photo by Michele Meyers
Greg's Seafood & BBQ is a local favorite at the Riverfest Seafood Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Owner of Greg's Seafood & BBQ Greg Lewis and Lonnie Burkes prepare 100s of meals for the festival goers throughout the Riverfest weekend. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seafood and beer were menu favorites for the Riverfest Seafood Festival crowd. Photo by Michele Meyers
Kids enjoy the bounce house in the Kid Zone at the Riverfest Seafood Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Fourteen-month-old Isabela Durocher plays in the Kid Zone at the Riverfest in Ormond Beach. Photo by Michele Meyers
Cali Clark is all smiles as she knocks over the blocks in the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia's play area. Photo by Michele Meyers
Wyatt Heasley plays in the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia's play area. Photo by Michele Meyers
Becky Parker, one of Ormond Beach Mainstreet's Riverfest organizers, strolls the grounds to make sure everything is going smoothly. Photo by Michele Meyers
Skies were gray and the weather looked foreboding as the Riverfest Seafood Festival kicked off its weekend return on Saturday, Nov. 20, after a COVID-19 hiatus was imposed the previous year.
“We were a little bit nervous about the weather at the beginning of the weekend,” said Becky Parker, Ormond Beach Mainstreet’s event organizer. “But I thought people would come out regardless. As we saw with the Celtic Festival, it was packed. Everybody was just ready to be out and about.”
This was Parker’s seventh year helping to organize the event that has been well-attended for 12 years. Approximately 100 volunteers were utilized over the course of the weekend to setup, run the children’s events, offer vendor support, man beverage booths and break down. Family members usually join together when volunteering for the festival. Parker’s father flies in to Ormond Beach three times per year just to assist with anything she may need for the city’s annual festivals.
“I’ve heard people say, ‘Don’t go around Becky during festival time, you’ll get dragged into volunteering’,” she said as she laughed.
Over two dozen vendors packed the Rockefeller Gardens with a variety of savory food offerings ranging from Seashore Seafood’s lobster mac-n-cheese to Greg’s Seafood & BBQ’s frog legs basket along with a multitude of sweet treats including Jeremiah’s Italian Ice and fried Oreos.
Greg Lewis, the owner of Greg’s Seafood & BBQ, started his business 15 years ago after his uncle John Watson taught him everything he knew about becoming a food vendor. Lewis assisted Watson when he would travel to Jacksonville to cook at the NFL Jaguars’ home games. Currently Lewis works for the City of Ormond Beach in the stormwater department during the week and on weekends, travels to Tallahassee, Miami or anywhere his mobile restaurant is requested.
“Yes. I work a lot,” he said. “Usually seven days per week. I love it. I love this festival. Always a great turnout.”
Vintage music and draft beer offerings created a haven for adults to enjoy each others company along the picturesque Halifax River. Kids also had a chance to enjoy outdoor activities at the Kid Zone under the Granada Bridge and by participating in the Kid Fish clinics at Fortunato Park where they were giving out free fishing poles. Parents could stop by to chat with Delores Cope at the Early Learning Coalition bus to discuss educational options for their children while the kids played at the interactive stations.
Travis Konarik and his wife Kristy Knight were the first volunteers to setup the Kid Fish clinics seven years ago. In the past, Fish Florida donated fishing poles along with grants which would be used to obtain 300 poles to be given out at the festival. This year, the poles arrived late which made it necessary for Ormond Beach Mainstreet to purchase them in time for Konarik and Knight to put them together at their house. The late arrivals will be used for next year’s clinics.
Veteran Thad Harris, owner of the Harri Axe — a mobile axe throwing business — had a line at his vendor booth. His trailer consists of an axe throwing cage large enough to accommodate two throwers simultaneously. Harris had reached out to Ormond Beach Mainstreet to participate in his first event—the Celtic Festival and followed it up with the Riverfest. Siblings Noah and Samantha Stevens were excited to see Harris again. After a few rounds of axe throwing rivalry, the two said it was fun and would get their parents to stop the car if they saw it in their travels.
