Hempfield brings back annual summer concert series with CCR tribute

The 1960s and ’70s hits of American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival will echo throughout the amphitheater in Hempfield Park on Sunday, as the township’s annual summer concert series returns.

The “Amp Up Your Summer” concert series was launched in 2019 to expand on the township’s annual Community Days, a two-day fall festival featuring music, crafts and activities. The township years ago swapped Community Days for several events spread throughout the year — including Fall Family Night, a spring Eggstravaganza and the summer concert series, said Marissa Haynes, parks and recreation director.

“Rather than having one large event one time a year,” she said, “it’s spreading that out to give the community more opportunities to gather throughout the year.”

Pendulum, a Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band named after the group’s sixth studio album, will perform at 2 p.m. Sunday, Father’s Day. It will be Pendulum’s third time performing at the concert series, drummer Rocco Gaudiano said.

“It’s a really nice venue,” said Gaudiano of Mt. Pleasant. “Aesthetically, it’s really nice. The natural slope of the land forms a natural amphitheater.”

Gaudiano is one of two Westmoreland County residents in the band, but all of them live in Southwestern Pennsylvania, he said.

“We like to do some local shows,” he said. “We do a lot of stuff for the veterans, and … they like to come to some of the outdoor shows that we do.”

Alongside the music, the township is hosting a Jeep Jam on Sunday, Haynes said. Jeep owners who bring their wheels to the park will receive a rubber duck — commonly used as decorations on the dashboard of Jeep vehicles.

The concert series kicked off May 31 with a local country group, Frank Viera Band. The series’ lineup includes a mix of newcomers and favorite returning performers — such as country band Willow Hill and soul and funk group Habatat.

“We know that those are going to get some great, great turnout,” Haynes said, noting attendance has grown across the past six years.

The rest of the performances will take place at 7 p.m. on the following Saturdays:

• June 21 — The Warped Band (pop/punk)

• July 5 — Willow Hill (country)

• July 19 — The Delaney’s (variety)

• Aug. 2 — Habatat (soul/funk)

• Aug. 16 — Big Fat Jazz (jazz)

• Aug. 30 — Bon Journey (Journey and Bon Jovi tribute)

Family-friendly movies will also be shown at dusk on a handful of Fridays throughout the summer, including:

• June 13 — “Inside Out 2”

• July 11 — “The Wild Robot”

• Aug. 8 — “Moana 2”

The concerts and movies come with free admission and free parking at Hempfield Park. Food trucks, including Kona Ice, will often be available onsite, but the park will also supplement with light concessions.

Attendees are invited to bring their own food, lawn chairs or blankets, and pets — as long as they are on a leash.

Hempfield received a $1,000 Westmoreland County Local Arts grant to help continue the concert series, Haynes said.