Maybe it’s Berks County’s “connection” to John Philip Sousa, our desire to embrace the patriotic, or just our insatiable appetite for live music. Whatever the reason, when July rolls around, Berks County likes to get down!
With Independence Day upon us, so too is the annual “Star Spangled Spectacular,” the free concert performance by the Reading Symphony Orchestra held on July 4 at FirstEnergy Stadium. This year’s event will also feature performances by the RSO’s Orchestra Zone, a program that supports musical training for students in the Reading School District. Expect to hear patriotic favorites like the 1812 Overture and America the Beautiful in addition to the requisite Stars and Stripes Forever – after all, it wouldn’t be July 4th without a nod to Sousa! The night will open by allowing Berks residents to give to those in need and will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display. The RSO is asking patrons to bring along a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Greater Berks Food Bank.
If you’re looking to celebrate the nation’s birth with the musical form that is most indigenous to America, another free concert on the 4th may be to your liking. Presented by the First National Bank of Pennsylvania, The Reading Public Museum will host its annual “Red, White, and Blues” party at the Stone Terrace Tent along the Wyomissing Creek. The doors open at 6pm (with a dinner and drinks available for purchase), and music begins at 7pm with a performance by one of the top bands from the Lehigh Valley, The James Supra Blues Band. Although The Museum itself will be closed for the holiday, the Arboretum will still be rocking, and guests can stick around after the concert to enjoy the fireworks next door at the West Reading Playground!
Once the Independence Day celebrations subside, there will still be plenty of live musical performances to enjoy the rest of the month, including the kick-off to the annual Bandshell Concert Series hosted by the Berks Arts Council. Three of this year’s events happen in July (the 11th, 18th, and 25th), and the performances held in City Park are sure to offer something for every music lover in Berks. The final concert in the series falls on Aug. 1.
Of course, there is always much to do in Berks even when live music isn’t front and center, but several events this month have incorporated music into their other activities to keep the good times rolling. On July 26, a pair of events geared toward sports and history lovers will have a little something to get your toes tapping as well. Celebrating the first no-hitter in Major League Baseball history (by Reading’s George Bradley in 1876), the Berks Vintage Baseball Festival will be held at the Berks County Youth Recreation Facility, and the Ringgold Band will be there playing favorites from that era, while over at the Reading Regional Airport, the Marshall Tucker Band will perform as part of The Reading Air Fest and South Pacific Clam Bake. Both events require tickets, so be sure to plan accordingly.
So whether it is a patriotic march, a southern rock anthem, or a classic blues riff that gets you amped up this month, Berks County is the place to be. As you commemorate America’s struggle for freedom, remember the words of activist author Emma Goldman – “If you can’t dance to it, it’s not my revolution!”
by John Graydon Smith | photo by Kopicki Photography
