DATE October 24, 2026
TIME 12:00PM (PARK OPEN) - 8:00PM
LOCATION RIVER PARK, HILLSBOROUGH, NC 27278
ALL MUSIC LOVERS WELCOME!
THERE WILL BE BAG CHECKS, ID IS REQUIRED TO DRINK.
OUTSIDE FOOD/DRINK IS NOT ALLOWED.
NO OUTSIDE COOLERS | NO WEAPONS | NO TENTS
ALL DOGS MUST REMAINED LEASHED AT ALL TIMES, BE WELL-BEHAVED, & CLEANED UP AFTER.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL FOR REAL-TIME UPDATES!
2026 LINEUP
ABOUT RIVER PARK
The River Park Concert is a volunteer-driven, grassroots, free outdoor music event. RPC is made possible through the cooperation, coordination, and support of many local civic, corporate, and private entities and is brought to you by The Triangle Music Alliance.
Each year we partner with a local nonprofit organization to support them through River Park Concert's Sustainer Event. A portion of all sustainer tickets and sponsorships is donated.
CLICK HERE to grab tickets to this year's sustainer event on October 23rd and consider joining us for a fun, all-inclusive party in support of WHUP and keeping RPC free for everyone!
RPC 2026 SPONSORS
EVENT SPONSORS
CORPORATE SPONSORS
SUMMIT DESIGN & ENGINEERING • WHYDATA
CAROLINA SUNROCK • HILLSBOROUGH REAL ESTATE GROUP
THE DIGITAL BUTLER • WOODEN NICKEL PUB
NASH STREET TAVERN • C3 COWORKING • US FOODS
LUNA MOTH SPONSORS
ORANGE COUNTY SPORTSPLEX • WHITS FROZEN CUSTARD • VOLUME RECORDS & BEER • RAD PRODUCTIONS • JERSEY MIKE'S • ENO RIVER DENTAL • PAWS ON THE CORNER
PAST RIVER PARK CONCERTS
THE STORY OF RPC
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2017-2021
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In 2017, the Hillsborough Arts Council took over most of the concert's production and organization. Under HAC's stewardship and the tireless commitment of a small leadership team of local volunteers and music lovers, the concert evolved and grew exponentially by bringing together local, regional, and national musicians. The 2017 concert featured Grammy-winning Alvin Youngblood Hart, national touring musician Eric Lindell, Seth Walker, and The Walker Family Band.
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RPC continued its growth under HAC in 2018, more than doubling attendance and gaining statewide recognition. The lineup included local favorites The Shoaldiggers, Seth Walker, and internationally renowned band The Wood Brothers, who were hot off a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album.
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The 2019 edition of RPC was the biggest year yet, with attendance nearly doubling from 2018. The lineup included local band Eno Mountain Boys, acclaimed Atlanta soul band Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics, world-renowned guitarist Samantha Fish, and Grammy winner Anders Osborne. The event's growth was a success for RPC and had a major economic impact on Hillsborough, bringing in over 6,000 music lovers for the day.
While in preparations for the next annual concert, the world was shuttered by COVID. From 2017-2021, the Hillsborough Arts Council supported, raised funds, and developed this event. What started as an idea with 50 attendees has grown to over 6,000 annual attendees, brought multiple Grammy-winning musicians to our community, and has become one of the marquee events for the Town of Hillsborough (all while remaining completely free). Bringing in a crowd nearly the size of the town’s population has not only created a beautiful day everyone looks forward to each year, but has also had a significant economic impact on our town and local businesses of all sizes.
Producing such a successful event at this scale while maintaining an intrinsic focus on inclusion and accessibility has become a model example to other organizations and events in our town and surrounding areas.
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Having been wonderful stewards and community leaders of the arts and music, HAC successfully incubated an idea from concept through fruition. During COVID, HAC understandably reassessed its strategic capabilities and determined that, given the event's scale and growth, it had become untenable to continue backstopping this signature event as a small local nonprofit. Not wanting to cut or scale back the event, HAC approached the leadership team that had been volunteering and organizing the program with a proposal to spin RPC out as its own entity so it could continue the growth and impact in our community.
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2022 & Beyond
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The small team of committed event organizers, having volunteered thousands of hours over the 4 concerts, formed The Triangle Music Alliance to continue shepherding the annual event and the goal of uniting the community in music and happiness.
The mission of Triangle Music Alliance is to continue bringing great music events to our community, free for everyone, so anyone, regardless of socioeconomic background, can enjoy a beautiful day of music and art in downtown Hillsborough. TMA is also dedicated to highlighting a nonprofit every year and using the "stage" of RPC to raise awareness for their mission and donate funds to support their organization.
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We hope to see you at the next chapter in the evolution of River Park Concert on October 24, 2026 down in the park!
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