MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – The concerts are back here in Midstate and across the country. As arenas and stadiums reach full crowds for the big names, a music festival in Mechanicsburg aims to share a stage with local performers all summer long.

The Ashcombe Summer of Music is a brand new concert series held at the Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouses in Mechanicsburg. The series was created with the goal of helping local artists and businesses while giving families something to do.

“We originally planned it as an extremely safe, open-air, and socially aloof event to help people get out of their homes this summer,” said Cassie Fisher, Ashcombe Marketing Director. “Our maintenance staff had measured the terrain so that we could set up individual squares to create space between families and couples. Ultimately, with the restrictions lifted, we only have to encourage social distancing between the parties, which was pretty straightforward. ”

With the safety aspects well taken care of, the next priority was to help as many people as possible. “The concert series was created in the hope that we can give local artists a chance to come out in front of people again after all indoor venues have closed for over a year,” Fisher said. “We also wanted to have a chance to help support food trucks that may or may not have been able to function throughout the pandemic. Most importantly, we wanted the audience to be able to enjoy the fun, food and music in the safest way possible. ”

With an entire summer to work with, Ashcombe made sure to have a variety of acts and dishes to suit all tastes, both musically and literally. “When it comes to gender, we have currently reserved a mix just to interest different demographics. We have children’s artists, bluegrass, country, pop, classic rock, variety acts and even Celtic music, ”Fisher said.

The next event is Friday July 24 when Ashcombe hosts local pop duo Dandy with 717Tacos. On July 31, settle in with bluegrass and a barbecue. If you’re looking for something a little more classic, stop by August 14 for classic rock cover band Second Time Thru while enjoying a sandwich from the Philadelphia Hoagie Co.

The last two events of the concert series are certainly not the least. On August 28, the Ashcombe Corn Festival will be held, an annual celebration with corn related foods, crafts, classes and, yes, concerts as Joe Cooney and his friends perform with food provided. by Smoke and Pickles. The grand finale will take place on September 4 with the Ashcombe Summer of Music Final Jam featuring six food trucks, 25 craft vendors and five performances including Popcorn Hat Players, Pony Rides and Balloon Twister.

It’s like the saying goes, “if you build it, they will come” or, as Fisher says, “We thought, ‘we have the space to do it, let’s do it! “”

Each concert, except the corn festival and final jam, costs just $ 10 to enter and is BYOB. For more information on the Ashcombe Concert Series or other events, you can visit this link here.