Biddeford celebrates life on the Saco River with the River Jam Festival and Fringe Fest on Aug. 18-19, 2023. The festival hits its stride with the arts extravaganza Fringe Fest on Main Street Friday night hosted by Engine as well as special dance performances on the side of The Levee by vertical dance performers, BANDALOOP.  Saturday is the all-day music festival in Mechanics Park hosted by Heart of Biddeford.

Heart of Biddeford Executive Director Delilah Poupore is enthusiastic about this free community celebration. “With Fringe Fest on Friday Night and River Jam all day Saturday, it’s an incredible array of offerings — and different aspects appeal to different people, so there’s really something for everyone to enjoy.”

Biddeford Fringe like other fringe arts festivals across the world features experimental performances and exhibitions, elevating those at the edges. Fringe Fest is coordinated by Engine and they invite people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to share, make, and create together, according to a Heart of Biddeford press release. Schedule details will be released soon, and will feature GEM CITY leading the Main Stage at Shevenell Park with performances and interactive art-related activities on Main Street.

Fringe will also feature performances by BANDALOOP from Oakland, California, thanks to coordination and hosting by Subcircle. They will perform excerpts of their work LOOM:FIELD on the side of Biddeford’s new residential community, Lofts at The Levee — located in a historic mill building at 1 Upper Falls Road in Biddeford. LOOM:FIELD weaves performance, research, and education around the ancestral power and ecological impacts of textiles past, present and future. Performances run approximately 15 minutes and will take place at 5 to 7 p.m.

Saturday in Mechanics Park begins at 11 a.m. with local theater and dance performances on the main stage and kid’s activities such as balloon art, dinosaur puppets, canoe rides, an obstacle course and more. Guests can browse local vendors and meet community groups. Biddeford Cultural & Heritage Center will set up a Cultural Cuisine tent with free tastes from Biddeford’s diverse communities and La Kermesse will once again serve crepes and friend dough. Kids can take a horse drawn wagon ride to try a canoe at Rumery’s Boat Yard thanks to the Biddeford Recreation Department.

River Jam started with the idea of an amazing music festival that would feature musical artists in the “Roots” genres, according to the release. This year, for the first time, Heart of Biddeford welcomes the addition of Jason Legassie — talent buyer for Waterfront Concerts, a Maine-based company. Lagassie, native to southern Maine, recently planted roots in Biddeford, buying his first home there. With his nearly 20 years of experience buying talent and curating entertainment all across New England, he brings his unique passion and expertise to this year’s lineup, and is excited to partner with Heart of Biddeford in its continued success at bringing top-tier talent to the great city of Biddeford, the release states.

The music lineup goes from 2:45 to 9:30 p.m. with the following bands:

• Acoustic Nomads: Joyously exploring uncharted musical territory, acoustic Nomads interweave folks traditions from Appalachia to Argentina.

• Rigometrics: Portland-based rock band Rigometrics’ is known for their raw, high energy performances with original music influenced by classic rock with elements of funk, blues, and pop.

• Michael Corleto: With his debut album “Sincerely, Your Son” officially released in spring of 2023, Corletto is guitar virtuoso inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughn, Marcus King, and Jimi Hendrix.

• Joseph Gallant: Opening for some of the country music elite, Gallant is where New England meets Nashville.

• Dean Ford: A showman in the classical sense, Ford brings dance-pop energy inspired equally by classics like David Bowie and recent music sensations like Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato.

• Coyote Island: A project of producer/ songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Mike O’Hehir, Coyote Island brings good vibrations, dancey grooves, and tropical psychedelia.

Starting at 4 p.m., Biddeford’s breweries and six food trucks will be there. The night will culminate with fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

The weekend is free and open to all. People with disabilities who require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this event should contact Delilah Poupore through the contact form on the Heart of Biddeford website or by calling 207-284-8520.

More details can be found on the heartofbiddeford.org website and Facebook page.

Heart of Biddeford expresses its gratitude for support from the City of Biddeford, the City Council, Recreation, Police and Public Works Departments, with special thanks to River Jam Festival’s Presenting Sponsors: Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution and Maine Community Bank.