LANCASTER, Pa. — This year, the Long's Park Summer Music Series is going out with a bang: by bringing back an old classic.
The Long's Park Board of Directors announced this week that after a 26-year hiatus, the Long's Park Day of Music is returning to close out the summer.
Once a staple at the Long's Park Amphitheater, the Day of Music brought a mix of local and national acts to the park from 1962 to 1995.
On Sept 18, the Day of Music will return in a big way, according to organizers.
From 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., three national acts will alternate with three regional performers on the amphitheater's main stage and a special side stage.
Attendees will also be able to sip some brews at a beer garden adjacent to the main stage. The beer garden is facilitated by the owners of Trio Bar and Grill in West Hempfield Township and the Queen Street Bistro, which will open next month at the corner of Queen and Chestnut streets in downtown Lancaster.
There will also be an abundance of food trucks parked around the amphitheater lawn, though guests will also be permitted to bring their own food.
Admission to the concert is free, though volunteers will make their way through the crowds collecting donations to benefit the Long's Park Amphitheater Foundation.
The Day of Music is expected to be a one-time event, organizers said in a press release. It will round out the Foundation’s busy summer including the annual Summer Music Series and Labor Day weekend Art Festival.
“This year’s Summer Music Series started late this year due to public health concerns," said Foundation president Dave Wauls. "We wanted to surprise our community with a Day of Music to say thanks for their continued support of our programs."
The artists scheduled to perform for Day of Music represent a diverse array of musical genres including soul, funk, country and Americana. Here is the schedule for the day:
National acts
Big Sam's Funky Nation
The New Orleans brass band will bring the funk back to Lancaster after performing at the 2015 Roots & Blues Festival. They'll take the stage at 7:30 p.m. to close out the day.
The National Reserve
Founded and fronted by singer-guitarist Sean Walsh, The National Reserve "mine an archetypal musical seam, marrying gutbucket R&B, Laurel Canyon lyricism, New Orleans funk workouts, late-night soul, and bluesy, boozy rock 'n' roll to create their own timeless brand of American music," according to the band's website. The National Reserve will perform at 5:30 p.m.
Shannon McNally
A Franklin & Marshall College grad now based in Nashville, McNally music evokes memories of Van Morrison, The Band, Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, and Susan Tedeschi. She'll perform with her band at 3:30 p.m.
Regional Acts
Tractor Jerry & The Mud Bucket
The Lancaster-based alt-country band brings their whisky-soaked blend of old-school country and bluegrass to their original compositions and off-the-wall covers, like Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." They're set to perform at 4:45 p.m.
The Wild Hymns
The Lancaster-based band is "a beautiful synthesis of neo-folk, pop, and Americana with elements of jazz, tinges of psychedelia and a little bit of mellow rock and roll," according to its website. The Wild Hymns are the original songs of singer/songwriter Megan Woodland Hewitt (née Donley) and her band with her husband, guitarist Jeff Hewitt.
The Wild Hymns will open the event, taking the stage at 2:45 p.m.
Tuck Ryan Band
An alum of the Long's Park Summer Music Series, the Lancaster-based Tuck Ryan Band blends Americana, jazz, and R&B. He'll perform at 6:45 p.m.
