VIDEO: RazorRock 2010 to feature 17 events

LITTLE ROCK — RazorRock, the annual weeklong football festival leading up to the Razorbacks' first game of the season in Little Rock, will feature 17 events including a pep rally, a movie screening and a concert, organizers announced today.

The Razorback-themed week, which debuted last year, begins Sept 6 and continues through Sept. 11, the date of Arkansas' War Memorial Stadium game against Louisiana-Monroe. RazorRock is also for the first time being sponsored by Verizon Wireless.

Athletic Director Jeff Long said the week successfully builds excitement in central Arkansas, which helps promote the program and involve fans across the entire state.

"It gives them the chance to really get fired up for the football season, and particularly the game at War Memorial stadium," he said, adding this year's program will build on the successful debut in 2009. "Last year was a great grassroots movement that really occurred very quickly. (RazorRock chairman) Greg Nabholz and the community leaders here came together and really put on an awesome event."

Events planned for this year's RazorRock include a pep rally featuring the university marching band and cheerleaders and a concert with The Salty Dogs, Jim Mize and True Soul Revue. Both those events are scheduled for Sept. 10, the Friday before the game, at the Riverfest Amphitheater in the River Market.

Other events include a bike rally, a food festival and a screening of the film "War Eagle Arkansas" on Sept. 6, a brown bag lunch with former players on Sept. 8 and a nighttime program at the zoo featuring a new exhibit on pigs around the world on Sept. 9.

Nabholz said organizers added events highlighting Arkansas sports, music, film, food, art and culture in a bid to attract all sorts of people to the area.

"The culture of Razorbacks is so much more than just the Saturday game," he said. "We're looking at this as a whole weeklong festival. We want people to be thinking about that in terms of coming, staying overnight, staying two or three nights and really enjoying all the things we have lined up going on this week."

The schedule of events and the Verizon sponsorship were announced at a news conference at the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce attended by Nabholz, Long, Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hayes and other supporters and organizers.

Terms of the Verizon sponsorship were not immediately known. Long said he did not know the value of the deal.

Speaking during the news conference, Verizon South Central Region President Steve Smith called the partnership a "great opportunity" for the company to become more ingrained in the local community.

"Verizon Wireless is very excited to be a part of developing a tradition here in central Arkansas," he said.

A full listing of events is posted on RazorRockRally.com.