With it’s 10th anniversary, the Summer’s Best Music Fest has some big things in store.
The now two-day festival — set for Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4 — will feature national headliners and local acts on five stages, as well as an ice cream festival and, for the first time, two beer gardens.
“This is our 10th anniversary, and it’s a momentous year for us,” said Shannon Bishop, chair of the festival. “We have 10 nationally touring acts on this year’s bill, as opposed to just one last year, and we’ve expanded to two days. We are thrilled to be at this point, and to share our excitement with the State College community and beyond.”
After having one headliner on a ticketed stage last year, the festival has expanded to 10 national touring acts that will play on two ticketed stages. Without a ticket, visitors will still be able to enjoy more than a dozen acts on three stages during the festival.
Two ticketed stages on Garner Street will host the national acts. Tickets are $40 for a weekend pass, $20 for weekend only and $30 for Saturday only.
“Our two-day schedule means we’re still offering as much or more free music as we ever have,” Bishop said. “But going to a ticketed model means we’re able to bring the talent level way up on the Garner stages. We think music lovers will be delighted.’
New York-based funk and soul collective Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds headlines on Friday with a set at 8:15 p.m. on the Garner Main Stage. Blues and rock musician Doyle Bramhall II, a frequent collaborator with Eric Clapton and the son of blues drummer Doyle Bramhall, will headline the main stage at 8 p.m. on Saturday.
Friday’s other national acts include Pittsburgh-based rock and blue outfit The Common Heart, rock/roots trio The Record Company, and Americana singer-songwriters Amy Helm & the Handsome Strangers. Helm is the daughter of Levon Helm, the late, legendary drummer for The Band.
In addition to Bramhall, Saturday’s ticketed stage performers include blues duo Swampcandy, country band The Stickers, bluegrass singer-songwriter Sierra Hull, soul and rock singer Nikki Hill, and roots musician Eric Lindell.
Acts also will play on three free stages during the festival — the Locust Lane Stage, Locust Lot Stage and Calder Acoustic Stage.
Friday’s acts on the Locust stages include the Denicats, Spider Kelly, Urban Fusion and Jackie Brown and the Gill Street Band. On Saturday the Locust stages will feature Frackwater Jack, the Adorabulls, Big Corona, Pure Cane Sugar, Sirsy and Billy Price Band. The Calder Acoustic stage also opens Saturday with Eric Ian Farmer, Ramalama and Jive Bombers.
See the full two-day schedule for times and locations here.
The festival introduces cash-only beer gardens, located at Heister Street and Locust Lane for the first time this year. The pubs will have local beers from Elk Creek Cafe & Aleworks, as well as Coors Light, Blue Moon, Lagunitas, Dos Equis, Lancaster Brewing, Jack’s Hard Cider and Seagram’s.
On Saturday, the State College Rotary Club Ice Cream Festival will feature creameries from around the state from 1-5 p.m. Tickets for the Ice Cream Festival, which will be located on Calder Way between Pugh Street and McAllister Street, are $5.
For a festival map and more information, visit the Summer’s Best Music Fest website.
