The Green Zone was created at last year’s festival and will be back in 2010. Booths in the Green Zone will offer information on sustainable living, renewable resources and green products. Activities are centered around families and children, and how everyday life can be changed to make greener choices. Last year, participants made a bird feeder with a stale bagel. Interest in the Green Zone has increased dramatically and current participants include Mission Clarksville, Habitat ReStore, TVA, CDE, Austin Peay State University Green Campus Committee, C&L Recycling, Montgomery County Stormwater, Red River Watershed Association, The Harvest Network, and Recycle Clarksville.

The Green Zone is hosted by Creation Care, a community group of Madison Street United Methodist Church. For more information or to participate in the Green Zone, contact Brian Marcoulier at (931) 205-4372 or brianmarcoulier@gmail.com.

The 8^th Annual Rivers & Spires Festival will be held April 15-17 in downtown Clarksville, with cooperation and support from City and County Government, sponsors and volunteers. Applications are still being accepted for artists, event participants, sponsors, and vendors (arts & crafts, quilts, marketplace and food). The festival is free and open to the public. For applications or more information on festival activities and entertainment, visit www.riversandspires.com.

The first of 16 city Finger Football tournaments will be held April 15-16 at the Rivers & Spires Festival in Clarksville. The single elimination tournament will consist of 256 local players and will culminate with a championship match. Players are randomly selected for times to play their first game and will be notified well in advance of their appointed time. The top four places in each local tournament will be invited to participate in the National Championship. That double elimination tournament will be a two-day event in Columbus, Georgia in January 2011.

The local tournament will be held Thursday, April 15, and Friday, April 16 from 4-10 p.m. at the First Baptist Church gymnasium. Players must be over 10 years of age and will be entered on a first come first serve basis. A short instructional period will occur before each local tournament.

The winner of Clarksville’s local tournament will receive $1,000, with $750 for second place, $500 for third place, and $250 for fourth place. The winner of the National Championship will participate in a nationally televised commercial and receive $10,000 and two tickets to a major professional championship event to be determined.

This new Finger Football frenzy is the brainchild of former Olympic athlete Spud Alford, founder and president of Zelosport and Finger Football. Alford’s inspiration came from growing up in a family of athletes in Mississippi. His family valued their time together in the kitchen and living room, where they spent hours bonding over board games. Alford started dreaming big in college when he watched Bruce Jenner win the decathlon in the 1976 Olympics, and was inspired to begin training for the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. He trained four hard years, but in early 1980, President Jimmy Carter called for a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Games, and at the Olympic Trials, Alford shattered his knee in the ninth event, the javelin. He was later diagnosed with cancer, underwent two major surgeries, several excruciating chemotherapy treatments, lost his home, his job, and a business he had just started, 45 pounds and most of his hair. But he says prayer and the spiritual conviction of a friend led to his recovery. Alford says he learned valuable lessons through it all, and he speaks nationally to young people about the dangers of drugs.

Alford founded Zelosport and several Finger Sport leagues, focusing on offering a product that is appealing to all demographics and providing a medium over which people can bond. Alford says tournaments offer kids the chance to get off the computer for a little while and build memories that will last much longer than a high score online. In past tournaments, entire families have come out to compete. Even NFL quarterback Brett Favre has endorsed Finger Football, and in 2007, Zelosport was awarded “Toy of the Year” in Family Fun Magazine.

Finger Football replaces the paper football with a “slider,” a widget made of a plastic ring with a sliding ball in the center, that is used for everything a real football is used for: from passes and runs to fumbles. A 3-inch foam football is used to score extra points and field goals, just like in paper football, through finger “goal posts.” The playing surface is a 2’x4’ high gloss, durable, multi-colored board designed very much like a real football field.

To register for the Clarksville Finger Football tournament, go to www.fingerfootball.com and enter under the ‘Contact Us’ tab, or contact Spud Alford at (706) 888-6065 or spuda@zelosport.com.

The 8^th Annual Rivers & Spires Festival will be held April 15-17 in downtown Clarksville, with cooperation and support from City and County Government, sponsors and volunteers. Applications are still being accepted for artists, event participants, sponsors, and vendors (arts & crafts, quilts, marketplace and food). The festival is free and open to the public. For applications or more information on festival activities and entertainment, visit www.riversandspires.com.

Jimmy Hall and the Prisoners of Love will perform at the Rivers & Spires Festival on Saturday night, April 17. Jimmy Hall, former lead vocalist and harmonica player for Wet Willie, has a long and varied background as a performer, working with Capricorn Records from its early days in the 1970s. Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Hall co-founded Wet Willie in 1970. Over the next ten years, Hall and the group toured with Areosmith, the Allman Brothers Band, Grand Funk Railroad and the Grateful Dead. Hall was later nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocalist for Jeff Beck’s 1985 Flash album. After Wet Willie’s breakup, Hall moved to Nashville, finding a healthy blues scene in a city known for country music. Hall worked as bandleader, vocalist, saxophonist and harmonica player for Hank Williams, Jr.  He has numerous television performances under his belt including American Bandstand, Solid Gold, CMT special Crossroads, CMA Music Fest and The Jeff Foxworthy Show.

Top Christian acts Chris & Conrad and Big Daddy Weave  will take the stage on Friday, April 16. Chris and Conrad is a contemporary Christian music duo from Lakeland, Florida, consisting of Chris Kuti and Conrad Johnson. Their debut single “Lead Me to the Cross” reached #3 on Billboard magazine’s top Christian Songs chart. It was their first #1 song on the Christian Radio Weekly Inspirational Chart, as well as the #1 song on the Billboard Soft AC/Inspirational Chart in 2009. Influenced by Jars of Clay, David Crowder and Lifehouse, Chris and Conrad also pull from the ranks of yesterday’s mainstream hit makers such as Chicago, The Police and U2.

Big Daddy Weave is a contemporary Christian band composed of Mike Weaver (lead singer), Jay Weaver, Jeremy Redmon, Jeff Jones and Joe Shirk. Their debut project, “One and Only,” quickly became a fan favorite, debuting in SoundScan’s Christian Top 5, the highest debut for a new artist in 2002. A 2002 Gospel Music Association Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year started their career off with a bang. “In Christ” appeared on R&R’s AC chart for 24 weeks, peaking at No. 2, becoming the highest charting AC single for a new artist. “Audience of One” was the band’s first number one song (Christian Radio Weekly CHR chart) and was one of the top 25 most performed ASCAP songs of 2003. In both 2006 and 2007, Big Daddy Weave toured with Mark Schultz on his Broken and Beautiful Tour. In 2009, they headlined the What Life Would Be Like Tour with guest musician Josh Wilson.

The Public Square Stage will feature John Flanagan and Randy Nations during primetime on Thursday, April 15. John Flanagan is a Boston-born, Nashville-based 22-year-old performer who has spent the majority of his career perfecting the thrill of his dynamic stage presence. Flanagan moved to Nashville in 2005 and immediately began playing to audiences of 1200 as lead vocalist of rock outfit, The Gilly. Flanagan left The Gilly in pursuit of corporate gigs, and has played venues from Georgia, Texas, and Oklahoma to Seaside, Oregon. Currently in production, his 6-song EP is due for release in 2010.

Randy Nations is a Nashville singer, guitar-player and songwriter who headlines regularly at popular Music City honky-tonk The Stage. A veteran rock-n-roller, he leads an excellent band of some of Nashville’s most amazing musicians through a smoking set of classic rock-n-roll songs. Randy has performed with several top singers including Toby Keith, Billy Ray Cyrus, Mark Collie and Mark Chestnut.

The 8^th Annual Rivers & Spires Festival, April 15-17 in downtown Clarksville, will have seven different stages, with music for all tastes including jazz, blues, Christian, country, rock and variety acts. Applications are still being accepted for booths, sponsors, and vendors (arts & crafts, quilts, marketplace and food). For applications or more information on festival activities and entertainment, visit www.riversandspires.com

Auditions will be held from 11:00am to 3:00pm on the following dates:

Saturday, January 30
Saturday, February 6
Saturday, February 13
Saturday, February 20

Auditions will be held at Kickers Country Club, 690 Riverside Drive, Clarksville. Tryouts will be scheduled in five minute increments. You must call (931) 320-7368 for a set audition time.

Requirements and Rules are as follows:

• Must be between the ages of 2 and 19, as of April 16th.
• Must come 15 minutes prior to audition time to fill out paperwork. Late talent will not be heard and must be rescheduled.
• Must come dressed to impress. Wear what you will be wearing to the show! No inappropriate attire will be permitted.
• Must have a CD of your music. The dance or song you sing must be the one you perform at the show. NO CHANGES! All music must be clean. Absolutely no cuss words allowed. This is a family show.
• All performances must not be longer than 4.30 in length.
• Must be able to attend dress rehearsal in its entirety on April 10th from 11 am to 3 pm.
• Must attend the Talent Show completely!  No exceptions will be made.

The “Aspire to Stardom” show, sponsored by Gateway Realty & Investment Group, will be televised on three local channels for six weeks. Talent scouts will also be on hand for the show. To schedule an audition, or for more information on the talent show, contact Kelly Maselli with Gateway Realty at (931) 320-7368.

The 8^th Annual Rivers & Spires Festival will be held April 15-17 in downtown Clarksville. Applications are still being accepted for booths, sponsors, and vendors (arts & crafts, quilts, marketplace and food). For applications or more information on festival activities, visit www.riversandspires.com.

Contestants will compete in three phases: swimsuit, evening gown and private interview. The top finalists will then have an on-stage interview. In addition to a banner, crown and flowers, the winners will receive an extensive prize package which includes jewelry, professional photography and make-up, spa and salon services, gift certificates, interview consulting and more.

Callie Atkins of Clarksville was crowned Miss River Queen at last year’s event, and Amber Pennycuff of Mt. Juliet was named Miss River Teen. Miss Pennycuff went on to place in the Top 15 in the Miss Tennessee Teen USA pageant. Pageant experts, including the reigning Mrs. Tennessee USA Nikki Loos Peterson, will assist this year’s winners in preparing for the state competitions and all competition fees will be paid for the title holders. The Miss Tennessee USA and Teen USA pageants are part of The Miss Universe Organization, a joint venture between Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal.

The deadline to enter the pageant is March 5. Applications, eligibility requirements and full details are available at www.riversandspires.com. The pageant begins at 7pm on March 27, and doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are $10 per person and may be purchased at the door. For more information, contact Nikki Loos Peterson at (931) 221-7291 or petersonnn@apsu.edu

When it comes to entertainment, the Clarksville Rivers & Spires Festival doesn’t fiddle around. Jeff Turner, president of Ajax Distributing, major corporate sponsor for the event, is thrilled to announce that The Charlie Daniels Band will be the featured headliner at the 2010 Rivers and Spires Festival. Daniels and his band will take the stage as the main event on Saturday night, April 17. The concert is free and open to the public.

Daniels is known for his eclectic mix of country and southern rock. The singer, guitarist and fiddler was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2008 and was recently inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. The band is well known for their support of American troops and has performed for soldiers at more than 300 shows domestic and abroad.

Singing sensation The Texas Tenors will be performing Friday night at the festival. The Texas trio was among the top 40 acts on Season 4 of “America’s Got Talent.” The a cappella group made it to the quarterfinals of the NBC talent competition series in September. Doug Barber, Rivers & Spires Festival Director, says he saw the group perform on television and knew their mix of country and classical music was a perfect fit for festival.

This year’s festival will have a new look courtesy of local artist Brandt Hardin. Hardin had the winning design in the first ever Rivers and Spires Poster Contest. His work, a unique design which brings together all aspects of the local event, will be seen in festival publications throughout the year and is featured on the website. The poster contest was a huge success and will be held as a regular event in upcoming years.

Some of the returning events include Jazz n’ Wine, International Streetfest, Quilts of the Cumberland, 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 or those who wish to participate in festival events.

In 2009, more than 35,000 people filled the streets of Clarksville for the free 3-day event. At the International Festivals and Events Association annual conference, Rivers and Spires Festival won top awards over 1,500 other organizations from around the world. The festival received top accolades in the “Overall Best Event” category and first place in the “Best New Event Within an Event” category for Quilts of the Cumberland

Festival Announces Saturday’s Country Headliner (PDF)