The 2026 RiverFront Live Summer Concert Series has been dedicated to Roseann Hickman. She is shown here during a New Year’s Eve celebration. (Submitted photo)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

PORT CLINTON – Each summer, the RiverFront Live Summer Concert Series brings some of the best musicians to The District in downtown Port Clinton on Friday nights. By the end of each season, hundreds of people have enjoyed the free outdoor concerts in the midst of the busy downtown district with its shops, restaurants, and bars. The fun all started with a suggestion by Port Clinton businesswoman, Roseann Hickman.

During the June 5 season kickoff concert featuring Ben DeLong, emcee Judi Halstead announced that this season of Riverfront Live is dedicated to Hickman. This year, it will be called the Roseann Hickman RiverFront Live Summer Concert Series.

“In June of 2014, during a Promotions Committee meeting, Roseann, who was serving as chair, shared that she had visited other Main Street communities and noticed many were incorporating live music into their downtowns,” Halstead told the crowd. “That was the moment Roseann said, ‘Let’s bring back Riverfront Live.’”

Judi Halstead dedicates the 2026 RiverFront Live Summer Concert Series to Roseann Hickman during the June 5 kickoff concert. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

Hickman’s impact is recognized and appreciated not only by the RiverFront Live fans, but also by Port Clinton’s business community. Halstead said Hickman was a driving force behind community projects, civic organizations, charitable efforts, and downtown revitalization.

“Roseann’s impact on Main Street Port Clinton and our community

cannot be overstated,” said Nicole Kochensparger, Program Manager of Main Street Port Clinton. “Her enthusiasm, creativity, and commitment to bringing people together laid the foundation for what RiverFront Live has become. It is only fitting that we honor her legacy by dedicating this season to her.”

Hickman was not present at the concert. She was diagnosed with ALS in 2022 and was not well enough to attend the event. Although she couldn’t be there, her sister, Laura Garber, attended the concert and taped Halstead’s emotional dedication to Hickman.

“It’s fantastic. People are still remembering the things Roseann has done for them,” Garber said. “She’s bedridden but not forgotten.”