A FULL DAY OF MUSIC and ART! FREE TO THE PUBLIC
Central mountain Jazz cats
Saturday, August 9, 2025
Noon - 1:00 pm
Main & Grove Street Stage
The Clinton County Arts Council is happy to announce that a local student Jazz ensemble will open this year’s Saturday lineup of performances! Always in support of education in the arts, we hope you join us in our efforts to promote and encourage young artists in all disciplines.
The Central Mountain Jazz Cats ensemble includes students in grades 7 through 12 who want to explore music through jazz performance. All band and orchestral instrumentalists are welcome to join the group, which meets a few days a week, after school, from October to May. Students learn to play in various jazz styles, including swing, latin, rock, funk, and blues. The art of improvisation is emphasized, and students are afforded multiple opportunities throughout the school year to show off their musical creativity and skills. Annual performances typically include a Winter concert and a Spring concert at Central mountain High School, a December performance at the Monument Tree Lighting Festival, and an adjudicated performance at Music in the Parks in the Hershey area. Additionally, the CM Jazz Cats ensemble usually schedules a mini-tour of performances in our community.
ELENA STENKINA
Saturday, August 9, 2025
FLOATING PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVAL LOCATIONS
Elena Stenkina is an internationally renowned accordionist and dancer who delights audiences all over the world with her unique style and energy. She has performed worldwide on Princess and Carnival cruise lines and in the Great Moscow State Circus. She holds a silver medal in the Original Music Category at the World Championship of Performing Arts in Hollywood, CA and graduated with a Master's Degree of Music from the Moscow Pedagogical Institute. During her career in the entertainment industry, Elena has visited more than 40 countries worldwide.
Elena is the winner of more than 20 prestigious international competitions and now lives in Philadelphia, PA, USA, and works at the largest accordion store in the world - Liberty Bellows Accordion Shop.
Universal Stars Music Competition 2023 Season 4 Artist Award Winner
LONE CROW REBELLION
Saturday, August 9, 2025
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Susquehanna Event Center Stage
Lone Crow Rebellion is a Rockin' American Music band fueled by Blues Rock, Southern Rock and Alt-Country/Americana. The band is composed of 4 veteran musicians that have paid their dues honing their chops in the bars and clubs of western Pennsylvania playing their original music and genre supporting covers. Greg Long provides lead vocals, guitars and is the primary songwriter. Pete Horm plays bass and has penned a song or two himself. John Samanka is on keyboards and harmonica and also supplies vocals. Finally Jason Sopic is on drums and percussion. In 2018 their journey as an independent recording artist began with the recording of their first album “Ain't No Shame”. In 2024, Lone Crow Rebellion released “Coal Train Blues”. The album finely tunes the listener into the influences that the band finds its muse in. There is a strong presence of singer/songwriter in the music as well. The band channels this to provide great storytelling in the songs they write, containing both true & fictional story lines. The band is currently hard at work recording tracks for a 3rd album to be released in 2025.
The music and their live shows demonstrate the band’s energy, passion & drive, and has landed them opening slots with artists such as Davy Knowels, Popa Chubby, Coco Montoya & Molly Hatchet.
ZAPOTE
Saturday, August 9, 2025
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Main & Grove Street Stage
Featuring Tropical Pop and Salsa Funk, Global South Grooves.
Percussionist, bassist and singer-songwriter Dawn Drake leads her Tropical Pop ensemble ZapOte, which breaks down cultural barriers by incorporating everything from Cuban Timba to Brazilian samba and Funk into a soul-shaking mix. Deep bass grooves and swinging horn lines provide a danceable backdrop for Drake’s socially conscious lyrics, which impart messages of universal consciousness, empowerment, and compassion.
And if all this isn’t enough, she has a new album, Nightshade, just released, with her band ZapOte—named for the tasty Caribbean fruit that grows throughout the Caribbean and Mexico. It’s also the title of a song on her preceding album Everythinglessness, the chorus of which was written years earlier after a visit to Santiago de Cuba--a place that has greatly inspired her through its music, dance and culture, not to mention the country where she first encountered the fruit.
“We play a lot of party gigs and it’s a party band,” says Virginia native Drake, whose nine-piece percussion- and horn-heavy group delivers what she calls “a globe of musical language” in her compositions, these reflecting her intensive studies of African and Caribbean music genres as well as socially-conscious lyrics geared toward promoting multiculturalism, tolerance and understanding.
HOLD FAST
Saturday, August 9, 2025
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Susquehanna Event Center Stage
Rowdy friends, whiskey & music. Mixing updated Irish traditional music and original material into their own blend of Celtic, punk and rock, the music is brash, the band is loud, and the drumming ensures the pace is fast. Energetic and engaging whether plugged in or acoustic, Hold Fast is the reason people go to see live music.
Described as ”Moments of fast punk rock and slow and gentle ballads mixed together to make an album that is laid out perfectly and at an ideal pace. The bands Irish roots are stamped all over things and they may look to the past of the Tones, Clancy’s and Dub’s but are not stuck there and have added their own stamp to everything they do." The London Celtic Punks
CLOSE OUT THE NIGHT AND THE FESTIVAL WITH TWO GREAT BANDS,
GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU MOVE!
MINUTE BY MINUTE
Featuring the music of Michael McDonald & the Doobie Brothers
Saturday, August 9, 2025
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Main & Grove Street Stage
Singer Kyle Maack and drummer Alvin Burnett, both ardent fans of Michael McDonald, found inspiration in the legendary artist's timeless sound and rich musical legacy. After discussing their shared admiration for McDonald’s work, they envisioned a tribute show that could not only honor his music but also allow them to express their own unique interpretations. The idea of "Minute By Minute" began to take shape, focusing on not just recreating McDonald's well-known hits but also infusing the performance with their personal musical styles. They meticulously selected a setlist that blended the classic tracks with fresh arrangements, creating an experience that appealed to both long-time fans and new listeners alike.
To bring their vision to life, Maack and Burnett enlisted guitarist Mike Ian as the musical director. With his extensive background and expertise in arranging for larger ensembles, Ian was key in coordinating the efforts of the eleven musicians involved in the project. Arranging the show along with keyboardist Ihsan Covert El and bassist John Colvin, each member was carefully chosen for their ability to complement the tribute’s spirit, ensuring that every performance would resonate with the audience. The collaboration resulted in a dynamic ensemble that captures the essence of McDonald’s music while allowing the individual talents of each musician to shine, ultimately creating an unforgettable musical experience.
ERICH CAWALLA & THE UPTOWN BAND
Saturday, August 9, 2025
7:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Susquehanna Event Center Stage
Pennsylvania native Erich Cawalla is a Nationally-Charting Singer, Saxophonist, Recording Artist, and Educator. Erich's unique talents merge "Old Vegas with Contemporary R&B" in tribute to some of his biggest idols including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Smokey Robinson, David Sanborn, Chet Baker, Frankie Valli, Kenny Rankin, and Junior Walker, to name a few.
In 2006, Cawalla started The Uptown Band, becoming extremely popular as a featured act headlining hundreds of shows and numerous charitable functions in the Northeast. After achieving success as a cover group, The Uptown Band began recording original music in 2008. The group's recordings have received critical acclaim throughout the world with the release of 2 full-length albums including Waiting for Her in 2008 and Heart, Soul, Body, & Mind in 2014.
Notable performances include 18 straight years at the Berks Jazz Festival, Bethlehem Musikfest, Charlotte's Independence Arena, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the Nugget Casino Resort in Reno, Walt Disney World, and Carnegie Hall.