In less than a month, rock music will fill the air at the Irvin N. Anderson Amphitheater for the third annual “Riverfest” event July 20.

This year, tribute band Arch Allies, known for performances of music by Journey, Styx and REO Speedwagon, will headline the summer festival. Arch Allies has during the past two Riverfest events shared the amphitheater stage with rock bands Loverboy and 38 Special.

In addition, tribute bands A Hard Days Night (The Beatles), Free Bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd) and Spindrift (Rush) are scheduled to perform during the rock-and-roll filled day.

Under new leadership by the International Falls Rotary Club and Backus Community Center, organizers for this year’s Riverfest said they are hopeful it will mimic the success of the previous two events.

“Things are going very well,” said Rotary President Jenell Feller of the planning process.

Feller, who admits she is the “worrywart” of the organizing committee, said she is pleased with the response of sponsors and volunteers who have already committed their contribution to the success of the event.

“Our community has been very generous,” she said. “Everything is going better than I planned. Now we just have to sell tickets.”

General admission tickets cost $20 and are available locally at Backus Community Center, Chocolate Moose, City Drug, International Falls Chamber of Commerce, It’s A Girl Thing, Ronnings, The Outdoorsman, KGHS/KSDM and in Fort Frances at Boston Pizza, 93.1 and Northwoods Gallery & Gifts. Tickets are also available online at www.backusab.org.

Feller said VIP tickets, available only online, are selling very well with almost half of the allotted amount sold.

“Last week, we had 30 of 100 (VIP tickets) sold,” Feller said. “We hope people will continue to buy tickets and that they will buy them early to support this event.”

In the past, Riverfest has been scheduled around the community’s Fourth of July celebration. Organizers explained they believed the event could be sufficient on its own and made the decision to move the date for later in the summer.

“We’re hoping people will look forward to this event after next week’s Fourth of July celebration,” Feller said.

Feller reminded the community the popular concert festivals like Moondance Jam and We Fest all started out as “small concerts in a small town.”

“Riverfest has the potential to grow to that level,” Feller said. “We believe that if we build this, people will come.”

The day’s schedule kicks off with the gates opening at 11:30 a.m. Spindrift will take the stage at 1 p.m., Hard Days Night will perform at 3 p.m., the spotlight will be on Free Bird beginning at 5 p.m. and Arch Allies will end the night as its show starts at 7 p.m.

Feller said a free shuttle to and from the Chamber of Commerce and Backus Community Center will be available from noon to around 11 p.m.

“We’ve ordered great weather and it is going to be a great day,” she said. “The entire organizing committee is really looking forward to Riverfest, it can’t get here fast enough.”

The committee continues to seek volunteers for the event. Those interested can contact Robin Bjorkquist at Backus, 285-7225.