CONCERT PHOTOS COURTESY ALLEGHENY COUNTY SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

As the weather finally starts to warm up, a popular event series will soon return.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced the comeback of the Summer Concert Series at a press conference Tuesday.

“The Summer Concert Series has been something that residents look forward to and plan around,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m proud that we have been able to offer great entertainment for our residents, and that our investment in the parks continues to add to the quality of life.”

The series will kick off the first weekend of June and will once again include what Fitzgerald called “perennial favorites”: Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and River City Brass. On June 5, Pittsburgh Opera will perform at Hartwood Acres and River City Brass will take stage at the South Park Amphitheater. 

All concerts are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted, and a full round-up of happenings can be found on the Allegheny County website.

Fitzgerald was joined at the podium by Shane McLaughlin, a member of the local folk band Buffalo Rose, which will be headlining in South Park on June 24.

“We are so honored and excited to be a part of this incredible summer music series put on by Allegheny County,” McLaughlin said. “There are a ton of fantastic acts this summer.”

Additional performers will include dance troupe The Tamburitzans, blues artist Vanessa Collier, the ’80s rock band BoDeans, country rising star Tyler Farr and the Grammy Award-winning group Soul Asylum, which is best known for its 1993 hit “Runaway Train.”

Fitzgerald also stressed the importance of highlighting local artists such as Buffalo Rose (which recently performed at SXSW in Texas), the Pittsburgh Symphony, Pittsburgh Opera and River City Brass.

“We are so fortunate in this region to have these great cultural amenities to offer,” he said. 

This year’s concert series will feature a variety of food trucks and breweries for visitors to enjoy, too, including Hop Farm Brewing Company, a woman-owned, family-owned business based in Lawrenceville. Also added this year is Black Dog Wine Company, a locally owned winery in Oakdale that will be selling a variety of wines and wine slushies at the concerts. 

Fitzgerald also announced the return of Family Fun Nights at the Movies, held each Saturday at the South Park Amphitheater, and Drive-In Movie Nights at Hartwood Acres, held every Wednesday. Family Fun Nights will begin on June 11, and the drive-in events will begin June 8. More details for these events will be coming soon.

This year, Fitzgerald said the line up of movies will include “Wall-E,” “Soul,” “Encanto,” “Clifford the Big Red Dog” and the original “Footloose” film starring Kevin Bacon.