The Lock Haven Jams Music Festival is back. The Clinton County Arts Council is sponsoring the three-day event that will begin Friday, August 11th, at the Roxy Theater in Lock Haven with ‘Rockin’ the Roxy.’ Tickets are required for this part of the festival and can be purchased, at a discount, in advance, online at LHJAMS.ORG. Tickets may also be purchased at the event but are not guaranteed. Proceeds go to the CCAC/LH JAMS and will help the Jeff Gummo CCAC Scholarship for the Arts.
Highlights for this year’s festival include the expansion to a 3-day event where nine bands will be covering a wide variety of musical genres. There will also be demonstrating artists and crafters and 6 Plein Air painters. Straub Brewery has been named the ‘Official LH JAMS Brewery,’ and Oregon Hill Winery will also be part of the 3-day festival.
When asked how it was possible that the event was expanded to 3 days this year, Steve Getz, LH JAMS and CCAC Board member, replied, “The simple answer is we are fortunate to have great community partners who recognize the importance of this type of cultural event in the region. In addition to the stellar work of the all-volunteer Clinton County Arts Council, we have truly supportive organizations, businesses, and individuals in our city and area.” Getz went on to say that after COVID restrictions caused their normal fundraising efforts for an indoor ticketed reception to be canceled, they needed to explore a new fundraising segment to replace it. As event planning became more possible indoors, they decided to expand to Thursday evening with a special ticketed performance to raise money for the festival and jump-start a newly formed arts scholarship fund.
“Adding this third day will be an amazing way to kick off the festival while encouraging people to plan on staying the entire weekend,” said Getz. “Our vision has always been to make LH JAMS one of the signature art and music events in PA, not necessarily the largest — but one with a special identity. By expanding to multiple dates, we are encouraging visitors to not only enjoy the music, art, and food vendors but to stay on and explore the city and Central PA. One of our more important assets in this region is easy access to public lands, which allows us to cross-market our unique nature-based tourism with our strong cultural event. We also want to point out that the Friday evening performances have also been expanded to four hours of non-stop music on the Grove and Main Street stage. Two bands, Ted McCloskey & the Hi Fi’s and Velveeta, will highlight Friday evening.”
According to Getz, LH JAMS will be a family-friendly event with a spectacular infusion of music and creativity with a block party atmosphere. “There are times when good things just come together to make an event like no other. The day-long Saturday environment is one of good times, good food and drink, friends and family, adults and kids, a diverse population, and totally muse-filled moments by demonstrating artists and selling vendors on the same two-block perimeter. People can freely move about, sit, and enjoy music from two stages affording high-quality and passionate performers to do what they do best — be it R&B, jazz, alternative country, or classic rock by top-notch musicians! The line-up changes to give people a taste of what they love and a taste of something new to their personal menu of music. We like the hometown atmosphere with the charm of Central PA, which is suddenly infused with this wide demographic of people getting to smile, laugh, and know the best of each other.”
Event coordinators estimated a record crowd of over 2,000 people attended LH JAMS in 2021 and 2022 will not disappoint with new records expected. “Unlike many other festivals or events where people come and go, we seem to keep a concentration of visitors the entire time, enjoying the cafe seating at the many downtown pubs and restaurants in addition to the arts. We try to make it a place people don’t want to leave because there is always something coming up that is worth the effort to stay.”
When asked why the arts council decided to create the Lock Haven JAMS music festival, Carol Ann Cillo replied, “We initially wanted to expand our offerings into musical and other live performances in addition to the visual arts that we cover throughout the year at our Station Gallery. We started out with a focus on introducing folks to various jazz styles but definitely grew to reveal the roots of music influence in all genres of the performance schedule. Our mission is to promote the arts, and this venue allows us to stretch and explore beyond the walls of our gallery space. The CCAC created the LH JAMS Festival to be a ‘destination,’ not just a singular event, encouraging both tourists and local residents to come downtown. One key attraction and effective feature is the level of charm and atmosphere provided by the different segments of the festival. Visitors keep moving throughout the city, helping to promote the historic River Town designation of Lock Haven as much as LH JAMS.” Getz added, “The primary focus of LH JAMS is to bring exceptional musicians with national and international notoriety to our community. We also bring the visual arts to the street festival by including en Plein air painters, juried fine artists, and fine craft vendors. Our simple goal is to fulfill our mission of promoting and enhancing the arts in Clinton County and the Central PA region.”
Thursday, August 11
Rockin’ the Roxy fundraising event for LH JAMS and the Jeff Gummo CCAC Scholarship for the Arts.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Doors open at 5:30 to the historic Roxy Theater. Music starts at 6:15 with Hex Highway, followed by Desert Highway around 7:00 p.m. A cash bar will be available featuring Straub Brewery and Oregon Hill Winery. The Roxy will offer food and concessions during the performance.
Friday, August 12
LH JAMS Block Party on Main Street
Music from 6 to 10 p.m.
Keeping with innovative LH JAMS experiences, the 2022 Block Party has been expanded to a full 4 hours of music. Restaurants will provide cafe seating, and Straub Brewery and Oregon Hill Winery will also offer outside seating near the Main & Grove Street Stage. Listen to your favorite classic rock tunes late into the night by two of State College’s most popular party bands!
The Broken Axe special ‘Off Main Street Concert.’ 7 to 9 p.m.
Saturday, August 13
LH JAMS Music and Arts Festival
Craft & Art vendors open at 10 a.m.
Music starts at noon and will run until 9 p.m.
Five bands featured on Saturday and include folk, world, funk jazz, smooth jazz, blues, and R&B.
There will be Open Container within the marked festival perimeter, and security will be provided to guarantee a family-friendly environment. Leashed pets are welcome, provided State and Local Laws are followed, and parking is FREE in the downtown area.
No coolers are allowed, and alcoholic drinks must be purchased at one of the vendors or participating restaurants. Feel free to bring a chair to relax and enjoy the festivities.
