Borough groups and businesses are taking advantage of the warm weather to bring a summer full of music to Irwin’s downtown.
“We wanted to please a variety of crowds with different types of music, so we branched out this year with some acts little different from what we’ve done in the past,” said Keri Mace of Irwin, a member of the borough’s Civics Activities Board.
The board’s Concert in the Park series will kick off June 9 with The Alt Rocks. All of the concerts are on Sundays.
“There’s a lot of local businesses right downtown that are close to the park, along with restaurants that definitely benefit from the concerts,” Mace said.
Shows are at 6 p.m. in Irwin Park at 10th and Chestnut streets, and along with the music there is a 50/50 raffle, food trucks and a concession stand.
The series continues with rockers Gene the Werewolf on June 23, Sky Pilot (classic rock) on July 14, Tres Lads (acoustic rock) on Aug. 4 and Jimmie Ross & the Jaggerz (rock/R&B) on Aug. 18.
Just a few blocks away, the Lamp Theatre will start its Local Spotlight Summer Series concerts in June at its outdoor courtyard, featuring weekly concerts with two local bands at 6 and 7:40 p.m. Those concerts will be held on Thursdays.
The series kicks off June 20 with Mark Dignam and Barbara Blue. It continues through Aug. 22:
• June 27: Jimbo Jackson and Miss Freddye (blues)
• July 11: The Wolf Tones (bluegrass/jam) and Jon Bindley (country)
• July 18: Adam Fitz and Kaston Guffey & Georgia English
• July 25: Connor Parente and Derek & Ryan Woods (rock/funk)
• Aug. 1: Jacian Blaze and The Evergreens
• Aug. 8: Anne Eliza and Noah Myers
• Aug. 15: The Roof Acoustic and String Theory
• Aug. 22: Small Hours and The Bricks (acoustic rock/folk)
All of the concerts are free and open to the public.
“The community comes together, and it’s great to see everyone at the park having a good time,” Mace said. “It’s a good family atmosphere, and a lot of people can walk right down with a chair and enjoy it.”
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.
