| Music Festival Name: | On the Waterfront |
| Location: | Rockford, Illinois, United States |
| Years Active: | 1985-2012 |
| Founders: | City of Rockford |
| Dates: | Labor Day weekend |
| Website: | http://www.onthewaterfront.com |
On the Waterfront was an annual outdoor music festival held in downtown Rockford, Illinois on Labor Day weekend. The festival featured local and national performers in various genres including rock, country, alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock, as well as food vendors and craft booths.
On the Waterfront was founded in 1983, during an economic downturn in Rockford, when city officials approved $15,000 in financing for a celebration of the city's 150th anniversary.[1]
The annual On the Waterfront Festival went on to become Illinois’ largest music festival, covering nearly 30 city blocks with over 100 performers across seven music venues.[2] The festival included special events, attractions, and venues, as well as over fifty food booths.
The last On the Waterfront festival was held in 2012, ending its 29-year run with a downsized version of the event. Only 51,000 three-day passes were sold in 2012, compared to nearly 80,000 at the festival's peak.[3] After several years of deficits, the festival had accumulated more than $340,000 in debt, and city organizers cited rising costs of security and talent as reasons for the event's cancellation.