The series is run by the Springfield Arts Council in cooperation with National Trail Parks and Recreation. Veterans Park Amphitheater is located at 250 Cliff Park Road.
Krissy Brown, in her first year as SAC executive director, is excited about the festival as it’s considered the organization’s signature event and the first three concerts will show why. Following House will be two popular returning tributes that fill the park to the brim – Fleetwood Gold: The Fleetwood Mac Experience on Friday, June 13 and Resurrection — A Journey Tribute on Saturday, June 14.
“It will have the feel of an opening weekend. Griffin is always locally popular and these tributes are two of our biggest shows all season,” she said.
House, a Springfield native and North High graduate, is an Arts Festival mainstay, playing most every year for the past 15 years or so and often as the festival’s opening act. His latest release from last summer was appropriately titled “Summer Dream.”
This is the chance to catch House here before he starts a mid-summer series of shows mostly in the eastern half of the country.
Resurrection is one of the most requested acts annually and always one of the best-attended shows with the act reaching across several generations.
While enthused about every show, Brown is particularly excited for Chapel Hart on June 21 and the first Celebrate Springfield! show on June 28.
Chapel Hart is a country group of three Black females, two sisters and a cousin, who got noticed as finalists on the hit series “America’s Got Talent” and are rising on the country scene. Brown said this act is one the public shouldn’t let pass by.
“This is one of those names people may not recognize. But I say give it a chance,” she said. “The more people we talk to about them are excited. We hope the audience will check them out.”
Celebrate Springfield! will gather several local bands highlighted by Allison Road, voted Best Band in the 2022 Best of Springfield competition, each doing 45-minute sets.
“It’s a chance to discover local talent and we’re getting a positive reaction,” Brown said.
The Summer Arts Festival will also be a good place to experience another local summer tradition. Following the Brass Tracks Band concert on July 3, attendees can enjoy the annual fireworks display right from their seats on the amphitheater grounds.
Festival attendees are welcome to set up their chairs or blankets beginning at 6 a.m. the day of a show; seating location is on a first-come, first-served basis. Brown said that tarps are not allowed to be used as seating as they kill the grass.
Attendees can get the best parking spaces beginning at 5:30-6 p.m. and can make an evening of it by having dinner in the park as concession stands will be open, but ample parking will be available near the festival grounds right up to showtime. There will be festival staff on the amphitheater premise 24 hours during festival shows.
Evening performances will begin at 8 p.m. unless noted. As weather can be a concern, attendees are encouraged to check the local reports and festival social media pages for updates on if a show will be delayed or cancelled.
While the Summer Arts Festival is admission-free, it’s not free to produce. All acts are paid regardless of if weather cancels a show. Brown said the festival has been able to continue for nearly six decades due to the support of the patrons, who have the opportunity to keep it free by donating to the nightly pass the hat contributions, with several local organizations helping with the effort at show intermissions.
“We’ve been looking forward to this and know the community has too to this five weeks of entertainment,” said Brown.
For updates, schedule or more information on the festival, go to www.springfieldartscouncil.org/ or www.facebook.com/SpringfieldArtsCouncil/.
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