Returntoriverside

Return to Riverside Music Festival is an annual community event in Potlatch, Idaho, celebrating the history and spirit of the original Riverside venue. From the 1930s through the late 1960s, Riverside was a popular bar and dance hall where performers including Johnny Cash, George Jones, Hank Thompson, Faron Young, and Jim Reeves took the stage. The venue also hosted roller skating, car racing, and Native American gatherings before its building burned in the early 1970s.

In 2016, a group of local people revived Riverside’s legacy with a festival held in a park in Potlatch. The inaugural gathering welcomed about 500 attendees and featured four bands, food vendors, cold beer, and historic displays. Since then, the event has become an annual tradition, bringing residents and visitors together for live music, shared meals, and a celebration of local history. Return to Riverside offers a welcoming small-town festival experience among the park’s tall pines. The festival is scheduled for August 1, 2026.