SIUE's biggest party
Mississippi River Festival drew crowds
Matthew Schroyer
Issue date: 10/12/07 Section: 50th Anniversary Special Edition
For an untold number of students, faculty and other members of the SIUE community, a single event dominated the out-of-class experience.
For those people, some of the fondest memories are linked to a 62-foot-tall, 140-foot-wide white tent. It was a gathering point, a concert venue, an experience, an icon; it was the Mississippi River Festival.
The MRF was one of a kind. For six weeks, every summer from 1968 to 1980, musicians would play in the MRF tent before crowds sometimes numbering in the thousands, who would flock to SIUE in droves.
The players were varied and legendary. Folk acts included Judy Collins, Joan Boaz and Arlo Guthrie. From the world of blues came B.B. King and Muddy Waters. Jazz artists included Ella Fitzgerald, Chuck Mangione and George Benson. Comedians Richard Pryor and Bob Hope took the stage. From the house of rock came Iron Butterfly, Janis Joplin, The Eagles, Yes and The Who.
The MRF predated Woodstock by two weeks and sold a total of 1.5 million tickets in the first nine years. Although many remember the MRF for popular acts that drew large crowds, that wasn't the original purpose.
University Archivist Steven Kerber, author of "Mississippi River Festival," said the MRF was originally a means for providing summer employment for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra during the summer.
"It was intended to make the civic elite, the business professionals and cultural leaders of St. Louis aware of the Metro East and aware of SIUE," Kerber said. "And that we were part of the same region."
Of the 325 productions, most of which had more than one big artist playing, 163 were related to fine arts. The entire first season exclusively featured fine arts presentations. Lyle Ward, who began directing the MRF at the age of 21, said the St. Louis Symphony had just finished Powell Symphony Hall, and Ward said it was struggling to make ends meet.
"The St. Louis Symphony probably would have gone under if it weren't for the Mississippi River Festival," Ward said.
For those people, some of the fondest memories are linked to a 62-foot-tall, 140-foot-wide white tent. It was a gathering point, a concert venue, an experience, an icon; it was the Mississippi River Festival.
The MRF was one of a kind. For six weeks, every summer from 1968 to 1980, musicians would play in the MRF tent before crowds sometimes numbering in the thousands, who would flock to SIUE in droves.
The players were varied and legendary. Folk acts included Judy Collins, Joan Boaz and Arlo Guthrie. From the world of blues came B.B. King and Muddy Waters. Jazz artists included Ella Fitzgerald, Chuck Mangione and George Benson. Comedians Richard Pryor and Bob Hope took the stage. From the house of rock came Iron Butterfly, Janis Joplin, The Eagles, Yes and The Who.
The MRF predated Woodstock by two weeks and sold a total of 1.5 million tickets in the first nine years. Although many remember the MRF for popular acts that drew large crowds, that wasn't the original purpose.
University Archivist Steven Kerber, author of "Mississippi River Festival," said the MRF was originally a means for providing summer employment for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra during the summer.
"It was intended to make the civic elite, the business professionals and cultural leaders of St. Louis aware of the Metro East and aware of SIUE," Kerber said. "And that we were part of the same region."
Of the 325 productions, most of which had more than one big artist playing, 163 were related to fine arts. The entire first season exclusively featured fine arts presentations. Lyle Ward, who began directing the MRF at the age of 21, said the St. Louis Symphony had just finished Powell Symphony Hall, and Ward said it was struggling to make ends meet.
"The St. Louis Symphony probably would have gone under if it weren't for the Mississippi River Festival," Ward said.
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