K-Rockathon was an annual
music festival
A music festival is a festival, community event with music, performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock music, rock, blues, folk music, folk, jazz, classical music), nation ...
held in the
Central New York
The central region of New York state includes:
* Auburn in Cayuga County
* Cortland in Cortland County
* Oneida in Madison County
* Syracuse, the largest city of Central New York, in Onondaga County
* Fulton and Oswego in Oswego County
...
region of
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
sponsored by
Galaxy Communications
Galaxy Media Partners (formerly Galaxy Communications) is a radio broadcasting company with radio stations entirely in the Central New York area. As of 2024, Galaxy owns 13 radio signals in New York.
History
Ed Levine, the company's president ...
-owned radio stations
WKLL/WKRL-FM/WKRH. These concerts were held at venues in Vernon, Syracuse, Oswego, Utica, and Weedsport, NY. Local bands are showcased at the event along with nationally-touring rock music acts.
K-Rockathon has showcased many subgenres of
rock music
Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...
from
alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
, to
rap rock
Rap rock is a music genre that developed from the early to mid-1980s, when hip hop DJs incorporated rock records into their routines and rappers began incorporating original and sampled rock instrumentation into hip hop music. Rap rock is co ...
, to straight
metal
A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
and drew hundreds of thousands to Central New York over its twenty year run.
History
The inaugural K-Rockathon was held on July 28, 1996, at the
Vernon Downs
Vernon Downs is a horse racing track, racino and entertainment facility located in the town of Vernon in central New York, United States. The track was established in 1953 and in 1955 was the location that Adios Harry ran his "Miracle Mile". A ...
race track in
Vernon, NY
Vernon is a town in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 5,408 at the 2010 census.
The Town of Vernon is on the western border of the county. The town contains a village, also named Vernon.
History
The first European s ...
. This was the same location through 1999, after which the event moved to the
New York State Fairgrounds in
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...
, on July 9, 2000. The event returned to Vernon Downs after which it shifted locations almost annually. As of 2002, it drew approximately 30,000 fans annually.
The festival status remains unknown as of 2019.
In 2024, a K-Rockathon Reboot was held during the New York State Fair featuring performers from prior events.
References
External links
*
{{coord, 43.0744, -76.2226, type:event_globe:earth_region:US-NY, display=title
Rock festivals in the United States
Culture of Syracuse, New York
Tourist attractions in Onondaga County, New York
Recurring events established in 1996
1996 establishments in New York (state)