It was April 19, 1964, when Sioux City was finally declared the Port of Sioux City after barge traffic arrived on the Missouri River. New opportunities and economic growth were on the horizon.
Members of the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce’s Waterways Committee felt this was something to celebrate, thus, River-Cade started that fall. Those members were Tom Geelan, Harold Jacobsen, Anthony Kelly and Strode Hinds.
Today, Hinds’ wife Bev is still involved with River-Cade, having volunteered and served in various leadership roles over the years. And even though Sioux City is no longer an inland port, the celebration still symbolically takes place every summer.
“Originally, they hoped it would last five years,” she said. “We keep going because it’s always been a fun thing. We’ve always had events and all kinds of things you want to bring your kids in to see.”
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Those events include a parade, carnival and royalty contest, just to name a few.
It turned out to be such a huge festival because it was the first of its kind in Siouxland.
“When River-Cade started, there weren’t a lot of summer activities in the area,” Hinds said. “It brought together all the small towns in the area for this big festival.”
Now, she added, most small towns have their own summer festivals so the attendance has waned in recent years.
Top-notch musical entertainment has also been a staple over the years contributing to the success of River-Cade, featuring artists like Alan Jackson, Marie Osmond, Alice Cooper and the Oak Ridge Boys.
“There’s always been something for everyone,” Hinds said.
Adapting to change has been an unfortunate side effect of holding River-Cade near the riverfront, an area known for flooding and construction.
“We’ve had to adapt over the years because we kind of get kicked around,” Hinds noted.
Spirits among organizers have remained high, however, and a strong effort has continued throughout the years to make the event the best it can be.
“We just keep going with things that people want to see,” Hinds said.
Hinds hopes to see greater community support in the future.
“In the past, businesses would actually loan their employees to help work on River-Cade,” she said. “Now, we are getting fewer sponsors than other outdoor events.”
In order for River-Cade to continue at a high caliber, Hinds said the ball is in the court of younger Siouxlanders.
“We need to get younger people back into volunteering with it,” she said.
Regardless, she added, she always expects River-Cade to have some presence in the community.
“Everything changes,” she said, “but we still want people to have fun.”
