The 6th annual LH JAMS festival is coming to Lock Haven on August 13 and 14. The festival was created by the Clinton County Arts Council and is a free admission event that is volunteer-powered but supported by many organizations, businesses, and individuals throughout the community. 

“We always had a multi-mission approach to not only bolster the existing visual and performing arts scene but also to generate an economic stimulus downtown. We believe an important part of the mission is to create an atmosphere of diversity, bringing not only different kinds of music but different kinds of people to Lock Haven. As a side note, many of the bands who hail from places such as Philly, New York City, and Baltimore that have performed previously at LH JAMS come back to play at other musical events in the area because they simply love Central PA.” said Steve Getz, director of the Lock Haven JAMS Festival. Getz added, “Lock Haven can never be confused for a big city; however, we did design LH JAMS to have a block-party atmosphere that is more commonly seen in larger metropolitan music and art festivals.”

According to a recent press release, the festival will include a full array of artists, fine crafters, and musicians that will fill the streets of Lock Haven this summer. After more than a year of quarantine and canceled events, the 2021 version of LH JAMS will exhilarate, invigorate and enrich all that attend. In addition, the event is listed as a rain or shine event so bring a chair and an umbrella and that there is plenty of room for social distancing to provide a family-friendly and safe event. 

There will be a variety of musical performances this year and the addition of a Friday evening downtown concert. The common thread among these juried artisans and musicians is their unique and extraordinary talent. Performances will span a wide range of musical genres.

“You will take an imaginary trip on the rhythmic beat of a Colombian jazz club, then be transported on an innovative musical jaunt to the deserts and canyons of the American West. Next on your journey will be a classic Juke Joint, a stop at the Apollo Theatre, followed by Beal Street, and then you will reach your final destination at Hitsville U.S.A.! From the popular sounds of Motown and R&B to Alternative Country, Jazz, and the Blues, the 2021 version of LH JAMS will simply be a spectacular infusion of music, art, and food,” said Getz.

In all, there will be 11 hours of free music by six different bands over the span of the festival. The Hex Highway Blues Band will be the opening concert with their foot-stomping electric blues sounds on Friday evening from 6 to 8:30 p.m. On Saturday, there will be five featured bands that will begin at noon and end around 8:30 p.m. 

“When we first started the festival in 2016, many doubted that a festival with a strong jazz influence would be successful. Even though we evolved into many genres of music, we were encouraged by the overwhelming acceptance of our musical selections. The first time we heard Edgardo Cintron’s Latin Jazz being blasted on Main Street, Larry McKennan’s smooth saxophone tones, or Eddie Severn’s trumpet echoing throughout the city, we realized that music truly is a common language. And it is this special language that not only brings people together but creates a real appreciation for new and exciting styles of music that they typically would not hear in this area,” said Getz.

Musical performances will include The Hex Highway Blues Band on Friday, August 13. Café y Petróleo (a Latin Jazz Band) will kick off the performances on August 14, followed by The Billy Price Band, The Vince Tampio Jazz Quintet, Co. Townes (an Alternative Country Band), plus a special Motown performance by Philly’s ten-piece York Street Hustle.

In addition to world-class musical performances, there will also be a variety of juried art, fine craft and food vendors selling items starting at 10 am on Saturday, August 14. Vendors include painters, potters, photographers, and textile artists. There will also be vendors selling locally crafted condiments and a honey producer with various unique products. 

One of the more important segments of the festival is the group of Plein Air artists. Four Plein Air artists will paint right on Main Street throughout the day and serve an essential role as LH JAMS ambassadors since visitors are eager to strike up a conversation and learn about their skills and media. This interaction not only creates opportunities for visitors to feel welcome and part of the arts but is essential to enhancing the educational aspects of the festival. 

City restaurants will have indoor seating, but also many will provide outdoor cafe seating in close proximity of the two performance stages. The intention is to give visitors an opportunity to dine while listening to world-class music.

Additional information and a complete listing of performances and vendors can be found at lhjams.org.