The event featured live music, food provided by Shoop’s Charcuterie and drinks by Straub Brewery and Oregon Hill Winery.

The ticketed event serves as the start to the 3-day festival and is a fundraiser for the Jeff Gummo/CCAC scholarship for the Arts and the Clinton County Arts Council’s Uptown Music Collective Sponsorship.

Music continued on Friday night with a free block party at the intersection of Main and Grove streets where musical performances by The Jaded Lips and Velveeta took place well into the evening.

The festival continues all day today with performances by a variety of bands on two different stages in downtown Lock Haven.

TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS One concert-goer smiles is all smiles during the performance.

The day will include arts and craft vendors, plein air painters, a traveling accordionist, delicious food provided by local restaurants and food trucks and much more.

Here’s what you can expect when it comes to musical performance:

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN JAZZ CATS

Noon to 1 p.m. on the Main & Grove Street stage

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.

TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS Attendees enjoy music by Night-Time NYC.

ELENA STENKINA

Floating performance throughout the festival

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, Calif., 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 and works at the largest accordion store in the world — Liberty Bellows Accordion Shop. She is the Universal Stars Music Competition 2023 Season 4 Artist Award Winner.

LONE CROW REBELLION

1 to 2:30 p.m. on the 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 four 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 and fictional story lines. The band is currently hard at work recording tracks for a third album to be released in 2025. The music and their live shows demonstrate the band’s energy, passion and drive, and has landed them opening slots with artists such as Davy Knowels, Popa Chubby, Coco Montoya and Molly Hatchet.

ZAPOTE

2:30 to 4 p.m. at the 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

4 to 5:30 p.m. on the Susquehanna Event Center Stage

Rowdy friends, whiskey and 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 by The London Celtic Punks, “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 band’s 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.”

MINUTE BY MINUTE

Featuring the music of Michael McDonald & the Doobie Brothers from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the 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 11 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

7:30 to 10:30 p.m. on the 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 two 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.