By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor
RIVERVIEW PARK — In the summer of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic had everyone shuttered indoors and all events cancelled, Kevin Maskol came up with the idea of having a reggae music hangout with his friends at Riverview Park.
Five years later, Reggae at Riverview has evolved into a major part of the Northside summer, bringing people from all over to enjoy some great tunes, authentic Jamaican food and the picturesque natural beauty of Riverview Park.
To say the evolution of the event has taken Maskol by surprise would be an understatement.
“I didn’t believe it was going to grow into this,” he said. Reggae at Riverview celebrated its fifth year on Aug. 2 with a greatly improved iteration of the festival. This year’s event featured a dedicated stage for the first time, as well as a high-quality sound system. Headlining this year’s event was Milton Blake, a reggae artist from Jamaica who has released three albums since 2013, as well as Pittsburgh-based reggae DJ Gangsta Shack Movement.
During the five-year anniversary, the latest Reggae at Riverview was also special because it served as a sort of public unveiling of the restoration of the Valley Refuge Shelter, which was completed in July. The shelter, which is located in the middle of the music festival grounds, is one of the most-rented park shelters in Pittsburgh, according to the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.
Using money from the City of Pittsburgh Parks Tax Fund, the shelter saw repairs, replacements or upgrades to its masonry, shingle roof, electrical systems and plumbing, all while retaining much of the basic shape and look it has had since it was first built in the 1930s.
A ceremony was held in recognition of the renovations and the Parks Conservancy was one of the major sponsors for Reggae at Riverview.
Catherine Qureshi, president and CEO of the Parks Conservancy, said she felt it was important to highlight the shelter’s renovations while also supporting a public event. She said the Parks Conservancy wants to “really just be part of the community,” and supporting things like Reggae at Riverview shows that.
Other major sponsors included Friends of Riverview Park, CitiParks, Northside Leadership Conference, Wave Motion Sound and Piatt Companies.
Why people love Reggae at Riverview
Debra Starling, lead vocalist with The Flow Band — one of the many acts that performed at Reggae at Riverview — said Reggae at Riverview has helped bring a greater awareness of reggae music, especially as attendance has grown.
“I like the camaraderie,” she said. Dennis Talley, an attendee from Gibsonia, said he liked how the festival organizers responded to feedback, commenting that the stage and better sound system really helped make listening to the music better. He has hopes that the festival will be able to expand its selection of Jamaican food in future years, and has one other suggested change which is less likely to occur.
“I wish they would do this more often,” he said. “I wish this was every other month.”
Still, he enjoys the scenic park setting and the fact the event is completely free for people to attend. This was Talley’s second time at Reggae at Riverview and he plans to come more often.
Reggae at Riverview’s future
Maskol is seeking further improvements to the festival in future years.
While he wishes to keep Reggae at Riverview at the Valley Refuge Shelter, he acknowledged that providing adequate parking has proven a challenge. As such, he hopes to arrange for a parking shuttle next year.
