Under normal circumstances, you can find Stroman happily spending his days at Batson Nolan PLC, where he has worked as a Legal Administrator for the past 12 years. Steve’s community involvement reaches far beyond the festival. He’s been a member of organizations including the Clarksville-Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce and Two Rivers Corporation. He’s a busy bee. Yet Stroman insists it’s all worth it.

Helping to reinforce the positive image of Clarksville is what motivates Stroman to be so active. He enjoys meeting other community minded people and we enjoy having him around!

To see Steve Stroman at the festival visit some of the food booths or watch for the orange Kubota zipping along the festival streets.

Little Big Town is known for their string of hits over the past several years including “Boondocks”, “Little White Church”, “Good as Gone” and “A Little More You”. Currently signed with Capitol Nashville, the group released their fourth studio album, The Reason Why, in 2010. Little Big Town has charted 12 songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart.

“We are very excited to welcome Little Big Town to Clarksville and have them headline the tenth anniversary of the Festival,” said Theresa Harrington, Executive Director of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This year we have a wide variety of musicians taking stage and we will continue to announce other acts in the coming weeks.”

Founded in 1998, the group has been comprised of the same four members since the beginning; Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook, and Phillip Sweet. Like many vocal groups there is no set lead singer. Each song is led by one of the four members, or at some points by all four in varying vocal combinations. They are also known to collaborate with other big names in the music industry such as Jake Owen, Collin Raye and John Mellancamp.

This platinum-selling, chart-topping, harmonious vocal group will bring an energy and excitement to the Public Square stage on Saturday night that will close the 10th annual Rivers & Spires Festival off with a bang. So mark your calendar, dust off your boots and bring yourself to the Festival for a guaranteed good time; this is a concert you don’t want to miss!

About the Festival

The Rivers & Spires Festival will be held April 19-21, 2012 in Downtown Clarksville. Admission and entertainment at the Festival are free and open to the public.  A list of activities and entertainment is available on the newly re-designed Festival website www.riversandspires.com. Some of the popular events include Jazz n’ Wine, Kidz Zone, Teen Area and Green Zone. More announcements will be made soon, as new events and entertainment are finalized. Applications are available online now for bands, artists, businesses, vendors and those who wish to participate in the Festival.

Booths are still available for the 2012 event, as well as sponsorships. To participate in the festival as a vendor or sponsor, contact festival director Doug Barber at (931) 245-4344 or dbarber@clarksville.tn.us. More information can also be found at www.riversandspires.com.

No stranger to service projects, Khandra is involved in several other community organizations. To see Khandra at the festival visit a ticket booth! To see her year round, visit F&M Bank.

Next week, starting on Thursday the 14th, Rivers & Spires will kick off the three day festival with the Patchwork Premiere event from 4 -8 p.m at Commerce and Hiter Street. And for those who have a need for speed, Mr. Speed will be paying tribute to the 70’s favorite make-up clad band KISS. They will be on the Public Square Stage Thursday at 8 p.m. Then watch as the Historic Downtown Clarksville transforms into a shopping, dining and music filled destination. There will be an array of activities for kids and kids-at-heart. For those who have never attended, be prepared to have non-stop fun and be amazed at all that Clarksville-Montgomery County has to offer.

On one of the six stages during the festival you will find a band that caters to your taste in music. From country and rock to jazz and Christian, you can check out the complete line up on www.riversandspires.com. Be sure to make plans to see Here Come The Mummies at 9 p.m. on Friday night and headliner Clint Black at 9 p.m. on Saturday night. Both acts will be performing on Public Square Stage on their respective nights.

In between all that music and free activities, you are sure to get hungry, so good thing that at the festival you will find a multitude of food vendors that will be serving favorites like funnel cakes, onion rings, frozen lemonade and giant turkey legs among other treats. All of the other fine dining and casual restaurants famous for their cuisine will be open downtown if a sit down atmosphere is what you are looking for.
You simply cannot come to Rivers and Spires without getting some shopping in. During the fun-filled three days, you will have the opportunity to purchase unique gifts and novelties that you won’t find anywhere else. From dresses, sunglasses and home décor, The Marketplace at Rivers & Spires Festival has everything you could imagine. Artisans from all over the country come to Clarksville to show off and sell their handmade artwork, jewelry and woodwork in the Artz Galore area. Take time to browse the booths in search of the special something to take home as a souvenir from your Rivers and Spires adventure.
Before you get Downtown, be sure to sign up for the text club. Text SPIRES to 68255 to get all of the up to the minute information about what is going on during the festival. Messaging and data rates may apply.
The Rivers & Spires festival hopes to see you Downtown next week enjoying everything there is to offer. Visit us online at www.riversandspires.com, become a fan of us on Facebook and follow us along on Twitter @riversandspires.

 Clarksville, TN – March 31, 2011 – This year during the Rivers & Spires Festival, make your way to the Madison Street United Methodist Church and take in the amazing Quilts of the Cumberland display.

 The exhibit will take place all three days of the festival, April 14-16. The show will display local artisans with a variety of quilts from traditional to one of a kind art quilts.  Quilting is a centuries old art form where the quilters use colors, shapes and their creativity to express themselves through the use of fabrics, various textiles and embellishments.  Quilting is still a tradition in many households.  According to the Quilters Newsletter study, Quilting in America 2010, there are 21 million quilters in the US and 14 percent of US households are home to one active quilter.

 An event sure to entertain and open people up to a whole new art form, Wanda Morrison said, “I would love for everyone to come out and support the Quilts of the Cumberland.”

 The Quilts of the Cumberland is also hosting a Trunk Show on Thursday, April 14th at the Madison Street United Methodist Church at 6:00 pm. Jean Shaw will be presenting a lecture and quilt trunk show entitled “Scrappy and Loving It!” with an array of quilts from the turn of the 20th century to the present. Shaw will share many of her own quilts and stories of her love of scrap quilting.  She is a fourth generation quilter, and has always had a love affair with fabric and an attitude of, the more the better. 

 For those interested in their quilt becoming part of the show, entries for The Quilts of the Cumberland Show are being accepted online through April 6th, 2011. The event is open to the public and information, instructions and applications can be found online at www.riversandspires.com. There are also some great prizes for those who wish to enter their handy work into the contest. Prizes include $100.00 for first place and $50.00 for second place in each of the three categories: Bed Quilt, Art/Wall Quilt, and Miniature Quilt. The Best of Show will walk away with a $200 prize. 

 In addition to the Quilts of the Cumberland exhibit at the church, the evening of the 14th will present the award-winning Patchwork Premiere event. Refreshments at Planters Bank from 4 to 5 p.m., staged entertainment, make-and-take crafts and a quilt giveaway are among the many activities planned this year. Patchwork Premiere will take place at Hiter and Commerce Street.

 The 9th annual Rivers & Spires Festival will be held in downtown Clarksville. This event has six stages of entertainment with over 100 entertainers performing all three days. From children’s activities, arts & crafts, car shows, military exhibits, jazz and wine, shopping and so much more this is truly an event for the whole family. Admission to the festival is free including all games, activities and concerts. Applications are still being accepted for sponsors and/or vendors.

 For more information about Rivers & Spires visit www.riversandspires.com

Clarksville, TN – March 31, 2011 -  After a very successful first year, Aspire to Stardom is back with another talent filled show.

After hosting several rounds of auditions in February, the preliminary judges narrowed the 1,100 applicants down to just 42. Safe to say that was a hard decision, but it’s sure to lend itself to a group of extremely talented young people. The talent show is only open to people under the age of 20.

Aspire to Stardom was an event born out of the need to let the youth of the community have their talents be seen and heard.  The entire event was free to those auditioning; there is no charge to audition or perform at the festival which makes it an even more appealing platform for people who want to get their talents heard. This year the show will be Friday, April 15 from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the Fun Zone Stage at the Rivers and Spires Festival, Downtown Clarksville.

Those performing range from singers to dancers and even a very impressive nine-year-old fiddle player. These talented young people come from all over the state of Tennessee to get their shot at stardom. And, the team at Gateway Realty and Investment Group/A + Property Management, sponsors of this event, wanted to make sure the right people were sitting at the judges table to see and hear all these kids have to offer.

“We are so excited to be a part of this and have the chance to display the kind of talent this group of young people has to bring to the table,” said Kelly Maselli of Gateway Realty and Investment Group/A + Property Management.

Maselli also went on to say that this year there is an incentive for the person who comes in first in the talent show. Daymar Institute has given Aspire to Stardom $2,500 cash to give away as the top prize. She was very grateful to Daymar for their generosity and support of the talent show and knows that incentives such as this will help the show grow more each year.

Along with the potential of a cash prize, there is also the chance of being discovered and signed by one of the judges at this year’s show. The impressive lineup of judges also serves as the talent scouts for Aspire to Stardom. In this panel are well respected actors, musicians, agents and photographers; industry leaders that know what people in the entertainment business are looking for.

“I think ‘Aspire to Stardom’ is a great opportunity and a great platform for young talent to showcase their singing, dancing and rapping abilities to a large diversified audience and being noticed by talent scouts to take them to the next level.  This can lead to exciting and wonderful opportunities to reaching their goal in the industry.  The rewards can be unlimited,” said Paula Smith, a returning Aspire to Stardom judge.

The 2011 Judges:

Paula Smith hails from Fayetteville, Tenn. and has had a successful career as a talent scout and casting consultant for the modeling and film industries. Paula served as consultant to Michael Cole, Avery Cole, and Nadia Cole of “America’s Got Talent – The Voices Of Glory.”

The next judge started playing the drums at the age of nine and by the time he was 15 he had already toured Europe and was working profesionally as a musician in nightclubs. Paul Cooper is no stranger to the music business having had the opportunity to work with some of the greats such as Alice Cooper, Kiss, Ratt, Warrant, Hugh McDonald, Kip Winger, Randy Jackson, China Rain, Jimmy Douglas and Beau Hill. He is currently playing an average of 90 shows a year with KASHMIR, one of the nation’s top Led Zeppelin shows, but has made the time to come to Rivers and Spires and be a part of the Aspire to Stardom Talent Show.

With over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Aris Golemi with Xcel Talent Agency has garnered an excellent reputation among his peers. He currently represents models, actors, dancers and choreographers from around the country. He began his career as a choreographer in Albania and eventually moved the United States where he has been recognized on multiple occasions for his talent.  He was selected in 2010 as a celebrity judge on the MTV2 show “Sprite Step Off”.

Kelly Higgins is a native Tennessean who graduated from MTSU with a degree in Liberal Arts. She then moved to Boston where she worked in marketing and sales for the Fashion Industry for three years. To further pursue her career in the field of fashion, Higgins moved to Italy and became fluent in Italian. She has walked the runway all over the world and is in the know about what the designers are looking for in their models. Now back in the States, Higgins lives Nashville and she works as an Artist Representative for HMG Nashville.

Nationally recognized photographer Aaron Crisler will serve on the panel of judges at this year’s show. Originally from Atlanta, Crisler is a publicist and photographer with The Judy Nelon Group.  He moved to Nashville in 2005 and quickly became one of Nashville’s leading celebrity photographers.  Aaron’s photographs have appeared in People, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Country Weekly and countless other magazines, newspapers and TV shows. As a publicist, Aaron works with The Judy Nelon Group successfully placing country, bluegrass and gospel clients in media outlets throughout the country.

With all of the opportunities that Aspire to Stardom has to offer, it is no wonder so many turned out to audition. With a show that is sure not to disappoint, be at the Fun Zone Stage on Friday night of the festival. This could be your chance to see the up and coming stars of tomorrow and say, I remember when I saw them at the Aspire to Stardom talent show during the 2011 Rivers and Spires Festival. To see a full line up of those performing, visit www.riversandspires.com.

The 9th annual Rivers & Spires Festival will be held April 14-16, 2011 in downtown Clarksville. This event has six stages of entertainment with over 100 entertainers performing all three days. From children’s activities, arts & crafts, car shows, military exhibits, jazz and wine, shopping and so much more this is truly an event for the whole family. Admission to the festival is free including all games, activities and concerts.

Visit us at www.riversandspires.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @riversandspires.

Participating businesses and non-profits teach visitors about recycling, organic living, nature preservation and conservation. Each of the 12 booths will also have interactive entertainment for the whole family. This year’s Green Zone will have a fun, passport theme. Each booth will have an activity for kids to complete and once they do, their passport will be stamped. When the passport has been stamped by each booth vendor, it can be redeemed for a prize. And like all other activities at the festival, it’s free!

The festival is also pleased to announce the addition of the Adventure Science Center interactive display that will be in the Green Zone this year. This hands on exhibit will entertain, all while educating  you about solar and alternative energy, plant science and the inner workings of machines. Adventure Science Center, located in Nashville, will have six exhibits on display during the three-day festival along with free take-aways for kids.

The Green Zone is ideal for those who want to display or demonstrate their products and ideas and applications are available until March 31. We are looking for participants that specialize in organic and sustainable agriculture, distribution of whole foods, reduction of energy consumption and even those who want to display and demonstrate hybrid and electric vehicles. What better stage to get your message out than an area like the Green Zone at the Rivers and Spires Festival.

The area is presented by the Madison Street United Methodist Church Creation Care Committee and will be held on Commerce Street in the Church parking lot located near the popular Kidz Zone. For more information or to participate in the Green Zone, contact Jessica Goldberg at 931-245-4346 or jessicag@clarksville.tn.us

At the festival, there have been strides to make the whole event green as well. Once again the Rivers & Spires Festival will be encouraging all attendees to recycle their plastic, aluminum, glass and cardboard items by placing them in the appropriate collection bins placed prominently throughout the festival. There will be two recycling bins available for every one standard trash can. It’s an easy and convenient way to keep Clarksville-Montgomery County green.  Last year alone there was 42 tons of recycling collected from the festival! Bi-County Solid Waste Management is leading in the recycling effort.

The 9th annual Rivers & Spires Festival will be held April 14-16, 2011 in downtown Clarksville. This event has six stages of entertainment with over 100 entertainers performing all three days. From children’s activities, arts & crafts, car shows, military exhibits, jazz and wine, shopping and so much more this is truly an event for the whole family. Admission to the festival is free including all games, activities and concerts.

Visit us at www.riversandspires.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @riversandspires.