RIVERVIEW PARK — After marking its fifth year in 2025 with a bigger-than-ever festival, one might think the organizers of Reggae at Riverview would take it easy for the following year. Instead, the annual Northside celebration of all things reggae has managed to pull in what founder and head organizer Kevin Maskol called a “reggae legend.”
Ansel “Meditation” Cridland and his band The Meditations are the headlining act at this year’s Reggae at Riverview, which will take place Aug. 1 from noon to 8 p.m. at the Valley Refuge Center. Cridland is the sole surviving founding member of The Meditations, a reggae band which has performed since 1974 and has even sung backing vocals in songs by Bob Marley.
“It’s really exciting to have them coming this year as the headliner,” Maskol said, noting the band is perhaps most well known for their 1983 album “No More Friend.”
Maskol said the rest of the lineup for the festival is also “stacked” with top tier talent. He gave special mention to a last-minute addition of Yaadcore, a newer reggae artist Maskol was able to book after seeing a show and being impressed.
As mentioned, this is the sixth year of Reggae at Riverview, an event Maskol started simply as a way to cheer people up during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the festival has grown, notably gaining a large stage in 2025.
Maskol has been very happy with how his festival has expanded, even as he has found the growth surprising. He said Pittsburgh is “overseen on the national tour scene” and it’s even more surreal to book major acts to perform not at major city venues like Stage AE, but right in Riverview Park.
He hasn’t been able to get that growth on his own. Maskol thanked the partnerships of Friends of Riverview Park and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy for supporting the event since its early days. He also is happy to have the City of Pittsburgh, who became a “big partner” last year and is continuing this year.
In addition to the performances, vendors and Ja- maican cuisine, Maskol said this year’s festival will have representatives from numerous community groups, who will be providing services or hands-on activities for kids as a newer part of the festival.
Maskol also thanked Observatory Hill resident Frank Dreyer, who has served as the graphic designer for Reggae at Riverview’s marketing and helped in nailing down the theme for this year. Maskol said the 2026 festival is highlighting the natural inhabitants of Riverview Park as a way to give greater attention to the natural environment of the festival.
“We have a mission now,” he said, “and it’s to bring people together to celebrate unity and community through the love of reggae music and discover the beauty of Riverview Park.”
As always, the event is totally free and open to the public. Maskol is asking that attendees try to either carpool, bike or hike to the festival, as parking is limited. He’s hoping the newly rebuilt Davis Avenue Pedestrian Bridge will help to make those latter two options easier for reggae fans.
“I rode my bike from Central Northside up to Brighton Heights and then took the Davis Avenue Bridge into the park, and it’s amazing how it connects the community to the park,” he said.
For more information about Reggae at Riverview, check out the event’s Facebook page, at facebook.com/p/Reggae-At-Riverview-2026-61561914376986/
