Fri 7/18-Sun 7/20

One of the great things about the long-running Painesville Party in the Park, taking place on the square in downtown Painesville, is that its music lineup, which starts at noon on each of its three days and continues until late in the evening, includes not only a number of your standard crowd-pleasing cover and tribute bands but also some of the area’s outstanding original talent.

Friday is especially jammed, opening with the Brian Alan Hager Band, featuring a singer/songwriter/guitarist whose music adds a blues vibe to indie rock. Classical guitarist Paul McCart’s Paul McCart Project follows, followed by Stamper Starr’s blues with vocalist Natalie Stamper and guitarist Frankie Starr who’s been a local legend since he hit the clubs as a teenager back in the late 80s. Alex Bevan “and friends” features one of the area’s most accomplished songwriters, vocalists and guitar players, whose career goes back to the late 60s as he continues to be an astonishing prolific songwriter, mixing up his 70s local hit “Skinny Little Boy” with something he wrote last week. Cleveland female-fronted, all-original Liliaea has been making noise with its mélange of rock & roll influences, and the Nick Walker Band offers Nashville country.

Friday night ends with a bang with the Carl Baldasarre Orchestra, reconstructing classic rock tunes in its own way, with guitarist Carl Baldasarre leading a large ensemble that will including the Opus 216 strings.

There’s plenty of good music Saturday and Sunday too: On Saturday, the Justin Geraci Duo will play its originals, as will singer-songwriter Austin Hamilton, and the quartet Arrazador Norteno, based in northeast Ohio but originally from Mexico, should be a huge hit with Painesville’s burgeoning Mexican population. Sunday will feature well-known local singer/songwriter Tom Evanchuck; Americana band the Railshakers; pop singer/songwriter Alexis Marrero; and Country Redford, an original country group from Northeast Ohio.

Although music is the heart of the festival, there’s plenty else going on, including food and drink options, of course, kids’ activities including that big draw — face painting — and artisan vendors.

Get a full schedule here.