NEWS INFORMATION FROM

THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED
City of Harrisburg
King City Government Center
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1678
Telephone: 255.3040

FOR IMMEDIATE USE
25 June 2003

ALL INVITED TO LARGEST EVER AMERICAN MUSICFEST SET FOR JULY 3-6 ALONG WATERFRONT; OVER 175 HOURS OF LIVE MUSIC SET FOR 4-DAY CELEBRATION, CAPPED BY REGION’S LARGEST FIREWORKS DISPLAY ON SUNDAY, JULY 6

• Download the 2003 American MusicFest Schedule (PDF)

Harrisburg, PA—Mayor Stephen R. Reed today invited residents and visitors from throughout the Mid-Atlantic United States to the City of Harrisburg’s American Musicfest, set for July 3-6 along the city’s idyllic waterfront. The American MusicFest is the largest Fourth of July Commemoration in Central Pennsylvania, hosting over 175 hours of live musical entertainment with more than 80 bands and theatrical performances, making it the state’s largest Independence Weekend Music Festival. With eight stages on Riverfront Park, City Island and downtown, music from local, regional, national, and international artists and performers will fill the weekend.

Celebrating our Nation’s 227th Anniversary, Mayor Reed said the Harrisburg American Musicfest concludes with a Gala Fireworks extravaganza on Sunday night, July 6, at 9:05p.m., sponsored by M&T Bank, simulcast to music on Bob 94.9 and televised live by WLYH UPN 15. This will be the largest fireworks display ever held in Harrisburg, launched from three separate sites on City Island and filling the waterfront skies with spectacular pyrotechnics.

The Mayor noted that there will be shorter fireworks shows each of the other nights of Musicfest, with the Thursday night show sponsored by the Harrisburg Senators and occurring at the conclusion of their game with the Portland Seadogs. Nightly closing fireworks displays, also sponsored by M&T Bank, will occur on Friday and Saturday night beginning at 9:50 p.m., and concluding at 10:00 p.m. in conjunction with the Festival’s nightly closing time.

Highlighting this year’s event is the return of the Gospel at the River musical celebration, and the popular City Island Crabfest.

Held daily, Crabfest will feature an expanded seafood menu along with Maryland Blue steamed crabs, crab cakes and crab soup. There will be children’s activities and live concerts on the Ford Expedition Crabfest Stage. Watch out this year for the Giant Crab overseeing the festivities! Taking place at City Island’s Carousel Field & Pavilion, Crabfest distinguished itself during last year’s inaugural run by winning the coveted Gold Pinnacle Award for Best New Event by the International Festivals and Events Association. There is a $5 entrance fee for anyone aged 21 and over to help offset the cost of entertainment at the Crabfest only.

As a special promotion, Senator’s ticket holders for Thursday’s July 3rd game will be able to get into Crabfest free all day with their game ticket.

Gospel at the River, held on Sunday, July 6 from 12 noon to 4 p.m., will be a 4-hour Gospel Cavalcade of national and regional artists and choirs from select City churches.

The newest addition to the American Musicfest stages is The Forum at 5th and Walnut Street. Appearing Thursday, July 3rd at 7:30 p.m. will be the Capitol Steps, a troupe of congressional staffers-turned-comedians who travel the states satirizing the very people and places that once employed them. Performing over 500 shows a year, and appearing on ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS and NPR, this comedy troupe has 22 albums of hilarious song parodies and skits of the best and worst of politics, politicians and anything else who comes along. Tickets for the Capitol Steps performance will be going on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 717.260.2000, or on www.ticketmaster.com beginning May 15. Tickets will range in price from $20-$30 depending on seating level.

Another new stage will be located on the Hilton Patio. World renowned jazz artists will play nightly from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Musically this will be the most impressive line-up of regional and national talent ever presented in a Harrisburg festival. Local and regional groups like the Badlees, Full Effect, the Martini Bros, and Pentagon will join national talent like Mama Jama, Entrain, Steve Oliver and Eddie Money who will close the event on Sunday, July 6.

Another addition this year is the return of the Family Movies on City Island. Two free family-oriented movies will be shown on a giant LED screen with the best quality theater sound. See the classic E.T. on Friday, July 4th and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on Saturday, July 5. Each movie will start at 9:00 p.m. and be shown at the Skyline Sports Complex.

Reed noted the return of other American Musicfest events such as the Second Annual 4th of July Fishing Challenge tournament, a smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing competition taking place all along the Susquehanna River from the Dock Street Dam in Harrisburg north to the Sunbury Dam. Weigh-ins for the Friday, July 4th event, will take place on the Mayor’s Barge at 1:30 p.m. Registration for the tournament is $150 per boat, and interested fishers can contact Lakeside Marina at 717.545.5461.

Along with expanded musical entertainment the American MusicFest has the best selection of foods from around the world and a new children’s area featuring theatre, educational activities, and children’s rides. A SPECIAL FEATURE this year is on Thursday, July 3, when all children 12 and under will be able to ride for free all day!!

Musicfest will also include the annual Penn National volleyball Tournament and the Breath of Nature Karate Tournaments presented by Joerg’s American Karate Studio and sponsored by JB’s Tropical Treats.

The Mayor said Harrisburg’s 2003 American Musicfest begins on Thursday, July 3 at Noon, with a daylong schedule of concerts on eight different stages, children’s activities, sporting events and other activities. The Festival will run daily from Noon to 10:00 p.m. and FM radio station BOB 94.9 will broadcast live from the waterfront all weekend long.

Mayor Reed said the City sponsors, plans and produces the American Musicfest every year, and has sponsorship support from such vital corporate partners as M&T Bank, Pizza Hut Restaurants, Coca Cola, Citizen’s Bank, and the Clear Channel family of broadcasters, including television stations WHP TV-21 and UPN 15 WLYH, and radio stations WRBT, BOB 94.9, KISS 99.3, The River 97.3 and WHP AM-580. Additional cosponsors include Advanced Communications, www.HarrisburgPA.com, JB’s Tropical Treats, Saturn of Harrisburg, Ford Motor Company, A Plus Wireless, Central Penn Cellular, Fast Signs, Penn National, The Patriot News and Scotts Bar and Grill.

The Mayor said all of City Island’s attractions and amenities will also be operating throughout the weekend, including the popular “Pride of the Susquehanna” Riverboat, WaterGolf Miniature Golf, City Island Railroad, RiverSide Village Park, Carousel, horse- drawn carriage rides, batting cages, arcade, marinas, beachhouse and beach, and more.

Reed also noted that many of the city’s primary attractions will also be operating throughout the extended holiday weekend, including the National Civil War Museum, The Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts and the resident IMAX Theater, the Pennsylvania National Fire Museum and many others.

The Mayor said plenty of parking is available for Musicfest attendees on City Island and throughout downtown Harrisburg. A special event parking fee of $2 per vehicle will be charged parking on City Island and at the Locust Street and Market Square Parking Garages. All other city garages will charge their normal hourly and daily rates.

Motorists and Front Street businesses and residents are advised that all of Front Street from Walnut to Forster Streets will close to vehicular traffic at Noon on Wednesday, July 2, and will remain closed through Monday, July 7 at 7 a.m.

American Musicfest attendees are also reminded that animals, backpacks, bicycles, skateboards and portable sound systems are prohibited in the festival area throughout Riverfront Park and City Island during the extended holiday weekend. For security purposes, packages and carryalls are subject to search by police.

For additional information and schedules please visit www.americanmusicfest.org

• Download the 2003 American MusicFest Schedule (PDF)

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