- December 13, 2025
Halifax Humane Society volunteers Ann Wolf and Melissa Robertucci. Photo by Sydney Tevin
Novel Tea Book Shop's Stephanie Gonter and Dasha Linna, with and Mango Leaf Trading. Photo by Syndey Tevin
Lana displays bracelets from her business. Photo by Sydney Tevin
A young boy rides a pony, guided by a volunteer. Photo by Sydney Tevin
Oak & Dough Wood Fired Pizza owner Ryan Dealy pulls a pizza from the oven. Photo by Sydney Tevin
Photo by Sydney Tevin
The Robert Keele Band. Photo by Sydney Tevin
Brittany Giles provided face painting at Riverfest 2025. Photo by Sydney Tevin
Diamond Jim stands in front of his booth. Photo by Sydney Tevin
Clay Bitter performs beneath the bridge. Photo by Sydney Tevin
Of all the elements that went into the planning of the 16th annual Riverfest in Ormond Beach — from the 100 volunteers and 100 vendors to the parking shuttles and sports lounge — the element that might have contributed the most to the event’s success was the one that couldn’t be planned: the weather.
“The weather couldn’t have been better,” said Becky Parker, executive director of Ormond Beach Mainstreet. “It was perfect, beginning to end, all weekend long.”
Based on data from volunteers, shuttle rides and beer sales, Parker estimates that between 7,200 and 8,000 attended the Nov. 15-16 festival, which is about a 10% increase over last year.
“It was really, really busy,” Parker said. “… This event was always designed as a community, family friendly, inclusive event, so that is our No. 1 purpose in hosting it over the past 15 years: to get people out of their homes and into their communities and get people to connect with their neighbors, and do so in a relatively low cost way.”
The event, which is free to attend, was organized by Parker and a committee led by Cassie Dixon.
Nancy Cortez was the volunteer coordinator, alongside committee members Dr. Maryann Bull, Bill and Michelle Zirkelbach, Brie Cunniff, Nick Accion, DW Smith, Tom Bull, Victoria Lancaster, Kathy and David Grosskurth, Colin Overbey, Andrea and Bob Ott, Jordan Bowling, Tony Puglia, Caryn Baker, Jade Faber, Tom Caffrey, and Kevin Wakefield. Bill Partington II prepared food for the volunteers.
“We partner with Seabreeze High School’s AICE program, drafting program, the culinary program, and the media program, and we make a donation back to them from the event — directly to those programs,” Parker said. “... It was the smoothest running festival that I’ve done in 11 years, and that is because we’ve had the best team we’ve ever had working on it. … We are not a for-profit event production company; we are a group of individuals pulling this together on very few resources, so I’m very proud that we are able to do that.”
Parker said the boat show, put on by Bluewater Marine, helped enhance the event’s celebration of the waterfront.
And, with Wakefield’s help, she was able to eliminate the internet glitches that plagued the “sports lounge” tent in past years. This year, the games played smoothly on the TVs, so that enticed people to make Riverfest an all-day hangout.
“People wanted to linger,” Parker said. “Usually at the end of each day, it starts to die down, and people naturally leave. This run, I was concerned and said, ‘Y’all better go catch that shuttle!’ They wanted to stay. … All around I don’t think I’ve ever had such positive feedback.”
