A good time can be had at the Portsmouth River Days, no matter what your entertainment tastes are. River Days started Thursday and continues through Sunday.

From the parade, to concerts to children’s activities, the Friends of River Days made sure to have a little something for everyone.

Kim Bauer, executive director for the Portsmouth-Scioto County Visitor’s Bureau and River Days parade chairman and volunteer, said the biggest crowd-drawer is hard to determine because of the different types of venues and the different types of crowds.

She described the band Phil Dirt and the Dozers, who played Thursday, as a “classic-y” kind of rock, while Blackhawk and the Outlaws, playing on Friday, were both described as southern rock. Foghat, playing on Saturday, was described as blues-boogie music with rock and roll flavor. Touch, who will play on Sunday, has a Motown flair.

“Four different venues to appeal to four different crowds. I’m expecting every night to have a fairly large crowd,” Bauer said.

The parade is a big crowd-drawer, and Bauer said it is considered the largest daytime parade in Ohio. It begins on Saturday at 11 a.m.

She said the arts and crafts are starting to build back up this year, and there are rides, like the Ferris wheel and the Scrambler. There are also games and amusements, food and a pageant.

The rides, food and pageant are attractions that cost money, but the concerts are free.

River Days is located on the riverfront in Portsmouth, known as Court Street Landing.

Bauer said she has many reasons for helping out with the Portsmouth River Days.

“I volunteer because I have a great time at the events, a lot of great friends. It’s good for the community, and it goes right along with the job I have now. It’s just a good thing to do to volunteer for the community,” she said. She added that River Days is good for the city of Portsmouth.

“People come here and spend their dollars and it helps pay peoples’ wages and it’s good for the economy,” Bauer said.

Southern Ohio Medical Center, Pepsi, LaRosa’s and USEC are the major sponsors this year.

“You can’t put on an event of this magnitude without great sponsors,” she said.

A couple of other sponsors include Ohio Pest Control, sponsoring the band Mothman, and Life Ambulance Service, sponsoring Doc Roc and the Remedies.