The following is a guest post by Gary Newton, Executive Vice President of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. Gary is the co chair of RazorRock and the Chair of the RazorRock Rally event on Friday night.
RazorRock, which debuted in 2009 as a “Central Arkansas’ weeklong football rally,” will return in 2010 the week of September 6th through the 11th in advance of the Razorback Football Team’s first Little Rock game of the 2010 season.
The announcement was made Tuesday, August 17th by Frank Thomas (Stephens Inc.), chairman of the Arkansas River Cities Sports Commission at a 10:00 a.m. news conference at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“My very first Razorback game was in Little Rock on October 10, 1964,” shared Thomas. “It was the fourth game of what would become a national championship season. My dad, uncle and I drove up from El Dorado to see Arkansas beat Baylor 17 to 6. That put the Hogs at 4 – 0 headed to Austin and into the history books. It also set the bar mighty high for a kid from south Arkansas.”
“Then, as a University of Arkansas freshman, my first student experience in Little Rock was in 1971,” Thomas continued. “The atmosphere was electric as we caravanned from Fayetteville for what was dubbed Revenge at the Rock. And revenge was sweet at War Memorial, where we watched Joe Ferguson dismantle the Longhorns 31 to 7. It was true then as it is today, depending on where the game is, the Pig Trail leads to both Fayetteville and Little Rock.”
Joining Thomas for the announcement was Jeff Long, University of Arkansas Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics.
“We are excited to return to Central Arkansas for the 2010 RazorRock celebration,” said Long. “Central Arkansas is the gateway to many of our fans across the state. Last year’s inaugural RazorRock event was outstanding and provided fans a full week of activities prior to our first football game at War Memorial Stadium. We appreciate the efforts of all the local organizers to help make this year’s RazorRock another resounding success.”
“RazorRock 2010 is going to be bigger and better,” said Greg Nabholz (Nabholz Properties), chairman of RazorRock. “Through events highlighting Arkansas sports, music, film, food, art and culture, RazorRock is designed to attract people of all ages and interests from all over the state and beyond to appreciate what is unique about our region, and hopefully, come early and/or stay late to enjoy it.”
According to Nabholz, 2010 RazorRock will feature 17 associated events, highlighted by a pep rally in the Riverfest Amphitheatre followed by a Night of Arkansas Music concert, presented by The Oxford American magazine.
The rally will feature the University of Arkansas Razorback Marching Band, under the direction of Dr. Christopher Knighten, as well as the Cheerleaders and Pom Squad, coordinated by Jean Nail. Tusk III, the latest live Razorback mascot, will make his Little Rock debut, courtesy of Keith and Julie Stokes.
Also featured will be the first live performance of the new single – Woo Pig Fever – from the Little Rock/Los Angeles-based country comedy band 10 Horse Johnson, which will lead into The Oxford American Presents A Night of Arkansas Music.
“The Oxford American is honored to participate in this impressive week of RazorRock events,” said Warwick Sabin, Publisher of The Oxford American magazine. “Less than a year ago, The Oxford American’s annual Southern Music issue showcased Arkansas music, and we introduced a national and international audience to our state’s outstanding musical heritage. Now we look forward to presenting A Night of Arkansas Music, which will feature three great Arkansas musical acts at the Riverfest Amphitheatre.”
Scheduled to perform at the concert are The Salty Dogs, Jim Mize and True Soul Revue.
While a complete and regularly updated list of offerings is available at www.RazorRockRally.com, Nabholz touched on some of the highlights:
RazorRock Bike Rally (Presented by River Trails Bike Rentals), Monday (Labor Day), September 6th, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.;
RazorRock Foodie Festival (Presented by Argenta Downtown Council), Monday, September 6th, 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Dickey-Stephens Park;
RazorRock Movie Night (Presented by Little Rock Film Festival), Featuring Screening of War Eagle Arkansas, Monday, September 6th, 7:45 to 11:00 p.m. at Dickey-Stephens Park;
Arkansas Arts Foundation’s RazorRock Spirits: A Night of Art and Soul, Wednesday, September 8th, 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Argenta Arts District; and
RazorRock After Hours at the Little Rock Zoo (Presented by Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce in Partnership with the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau), Thursday, September 9th, 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Little Rock Zoo.
Additionally, University of Arkansas – Fayetteville colleges and alumni groups will host at least six events in the region during the week.
Rather than just one week during football season, Thomas shared that, “RazorRock is being repositioned to celebrate every time a University of Arkansas athletic team plays in Central Arkansas. Our intention is to enhance the Razorback fan experience for the residents of and visitors to Central Arkansas, with hopes of enticing our guests to spend another night or two in the region.”
RazorRock is sponsored by the Arkansas River Cities Sports Commission, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau and North Little Rock Visitors Bureau.
In addition to the Arkansas River Cities Sports Commission, producing partners include Argenta Downtown Council, Arkansas Alumni Association (Capital Chapter), Arkansas Travelers, Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Little Rock Film Festival, Little Rock Touchdown Club, North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, North Little Rock Visitors Bureau, The Oxford American, Razorback Foundation, Razorback Navy, University of Arkansas, and War Memorial Stadium.
For more information, visit www.RazorRockRally.com.
