Fri 7/14-Sun 7/16
The annual Painesville Party in the Park, which bills itself as “Ohio’s largest free music festival,” offers three days of music and nearly three dozen bands, including some of the area’s biggest names, some newbies, and a handful of touring acts. The range of genres presented is vast, and the jukebox bands and tribute acts that make up the entirety of some summer events don’t dominate — and some of those have an interesting angle.
For instance, there’s In the Heartland, which closes the festival in the headlining spot on Sunday. The group plays material made famous by the Michael Stanley Band, but it also features MSB guitarist Danny Powers with frequent guest appearances from MSB bassist Michael Gismondi and guitarist Gary Markasky, and Michael Stanley & the Resonators vocalist Jennifer Lee. Guitarist Carl Baldasarre’s Led Zeppelin Revival closes Saturday’s lineup, but Baldasarre brings his own unique virtuoso style to the music.
Some other acts worth checking out include blues rocker Kristine Jackson, veteran punkabilly ensemble Lords of the Highway, Latin jazz guitarist Justo Saborit, Americana group the RailShakers, Brit-style rockers Guy Snowdon and the Citizens, singer/songwriter Steve Madewell and Grupo Fuego, whose lively Latin music closes the Friday night show. One of the area’s best-known and longest performing artists, folksinger Alex Bevan, performs with “friends” on Friday afternoon, and in his 70s, keeps hitting new peaks as a vocalist, guitarist and songwriter.
Music isn’t the only thing the event offers. There’s food and drink, of course. And there’s also a kids’ zone with a special kids’ stage, face painting, glitter tattoos, balloon twisting, puppets, the Gentleman Joe Juggling Show, Swifty the Clown and of course, Jungle Terry.
It’s all free, so there’s no excuse not to bring the whole family.
Painesville, OH 44077