Independence Bowl Announces Lineup of Free Bowl Week Events

SHREVEPORT, La. (Oct. 24, 2022) – Bowl week for the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl is about more than just the game on Friday, December 23 at 2 p.m. The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl announced on Monday the full lineup of bowl week events – with the majority of the events being free to the public.

There will be at least one public event each day beginning on Tuesday, December 20 and culminating on game day on Friday, December 23. All bowl week events are free to the public except for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Breakfast on Wednesday, December 21, but all proceeds from the breakfast go to support the local FCA chapter.

The Big Game Show kicks off the week of events on Tuesday, December 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Riverview Theatre, followed by the annual FCA Breakfast the next morning on Wednesday, December 21 at 7:30 a.m. at the Shreveport Convention Center. 

The major night of events is the night before the game on Thursday, December 22 with the Rally on the Red – a completely free night of events for local and traveling fans to enjoy and celebrate the return of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. A Mardi Gras Preview Parade will start the festivities at 6:30 p.m. and run through the Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets and the East Bank District. Immediately after the parade, the two school bands will participate in a Battle of the Bands in the East Bank Plaza at 7:15 p.m. Around 7:45 p.m., there will be a fireworks show behind Hurricane Alley in the East Bank District that will lead fans into the headline of the night. Baton Rouge’s own Parish County Line will culminate the night from 8-10 p.m. with a free concert in Hurricane Alley – the area behind BeauJax Crafthouse, Frozen Pirogue and Bayou Axe Co. in the East Bank District.

After the Rally on the Red on Thursday night, fans can turn their attention to game day on Friday, December 23. Prior to kick off of the 46th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, fans can get ready for the game with a free tailgate experience at Coca-Cola Fan Fest – which runs from 10 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. The bowl has also partnered with Fishbait Solutions to bring the ESPN Events Tailgate Tour to the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and Coca-Cola Fan Fest.

Below is a more detailed outlook on the full week of free bowl week events beginning on Tuesday, December 20 and run through game day.

Big Game Show

Before the teams compete on the field, they will duke it out in the Big Game Show at Riverview Theatre on Tuesday, December 20 at 6:30 p.m. Coaches and players from both teams will compete in an array of game show-style competitions, and the audience will have a chance to participate in the fun, too. The Big Game Show is free admission.

FCA Breakfast

The annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes Breakfast is presented each year for the participating teams and their coaching and administrative staffs. Hosted by the NWLA FCA Chapter, this event annually hosts more than 500 guests – offering a full breakfast and featured speakers who give their personal testimonies. The event will be hosted as usual at the Shreveport Convention Center on Wednesday, December 21 at 7:30 a.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/product/fca-breakfast.

RALLY ON THE RED – FREE NIGHT OF ENTERTAINMENT

The Rally on the Red is a free night of entertainment for local and traveling fans to celebrate the return of the Independence Bowl. Rally on the Red is comprised of three main events – the Louisiana Travel Mardi Gras Preview Parade, Battle of the Bands and a Parish County Line concert. Between the Battle of the Bands and concert, there will be a fireworks show. The events will all take place in the East Bank District in Bossier City, with the concert starting in the Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets and ending in the East Bank District. The Rally on the Red is the night before the game on Thursday, December 22. The parade will start the festivities at 6:30 p.m. and Parish County Line will culminate the night from 8-10 p.m. Below are more details on all three events.

Louisiana Travel Mardi Gras Preview Parade

Kicking off the free night of fun, the Louisiana Travel Mardi Gras Preview Parade will feature floats from local Mardi Gras Krewes, as well as the school bands and spirit squads. It will start at 6:30 p.m. and roll through the Louisiana Boardwalk and the East Bank District in Bossier City – leading into the Battle of the Bands at 7:15 p.m. in the East Bank Plaza.

Battle of the Bands

Following the Mardi Gras Preview Parade, the two school marching bands and spirit squads will play in a Battle of the Bands in the plaza of the East Bank District at 7:15 p.m. Always entertaining, the pep rally atmosphere will last for approximately 30 minutes. Following the Battle of the Bands, there will be a fireworks show at 7:45 p.m. behind Hurricane Alley in the East Bank District to get fans ready for the headliners of the night – Parish County Line. 

Parish County Line Concert

Back to headline Rally on the Red for the first time since 2018, Baton Rouge’s Parish County Line will headline the night with a free concert in Hurricane Alley – the area behind BeauJax Crafthouse, Frozen Pirogue and Bayou Axe Co. in the East Bank District. PCL will rock out from 8-10 p.m. on the big stage for fans of all ages.

Coca-Cola Fan Fest

The 46th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl kicks off at 2 p.m., but the party will start early and go all day leading up to the game with Coca-Cola Fan Fest – starting at 10 a.m. and running until 1:30 p.m. The fun will be on the turf outside the northeast gate of Independence Stadium in the Silver Lot. There will be fun for all ages, with cornhole, inflatables, food, drinks and fun. DJ Jay Whatley will be providing the entertainment and hosting the Coca-Cola Fan Fest to get fans excited for the big game. The bowl has also partnered to bring the ESPN Events Tailgate Tour to Fan Fest. ESPN Events will have eight tents at Coca-Cola Fan Fest – providing free food, prizes and entertainment.

For more information and updates on all of the 2022 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl events, follow the bowl on social media at @IndyBowl or visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/events.

Fans can plan their trip to Shreveport for the 46th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at LouisianaTravel.com.

ABOUT THE RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL™:

Established in 1976, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl™ is the nation’s 11th-oldest bowl game, and the 46th edition will be played on Friday, December 23, 2022 at 2 p.m. CT between Army West Point and a team form the American Athletic Conference. The UAB Blazers defeated the No. 13 BYU Cougars 31-28 in the 45th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Saturday, December 18, 2021. The Independence Bowl Foundation announced a one-year extension with Radiance Technologies – ensuring they will be the title sponsor through 2025. The bowl’s conference and team agreements, as well as the television agreement, also run through the 2025 season. Army West Point and BYU are slated to matchup against a rotation of the Pac-12 Conference, American Athletic Conference and Conference USA, which will be televised on an ESPN network.

The Independence Bowl Foundation is prevalent in the Shreveport-Bossier City area throughout the year, hosting events to help enhance the economic impact and growth of our community. The Mission of the Independence Bowl is to attract and provide quality, nationally recognized football competition oriented to the Ark-La-Tex region. For more information, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com or follow the bowl on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @IndyBowl.