Stampede performs at the Cranberry Summer Concert Series event on Thursday, Aug. 8. Vayda Pascarella/Butler Eagle
CRANBERRY TWP — The Cranberry Summer Concert Series continued Thursday, Aug. 8, when attendees rocked for the evening with the band Stampede, which has been playing country and rock music since 2005.
“It’s nice that they have these things for us,” attendee Marleen McClellan said. McClellan is a Cranberry Township resident who said she has also been at previous concerts in the summer series.
All concerts are free to attend, and refreshments are available for purchase from the Noon Rotary Club of Cranberry Township.
Sponsored by Armstrong, the Cranberry Messenger Service, and Xfinity Mobile, the event aims not only to showcase live musical talents, but also to bring the community together.
“Rotary is all about helping the community you live in and that’s why we do it ... We’re always looking for like-minded people to help us,” said Rotarian John Marshall.
Representatives from Xfinity Mobile set up a tent in front of their purple Xfinity van. To the right of the amphitheater the Noon Rotary Club of Cranberry Township set up their Rotary Grill, where they cooked hot dogs, grilled chicken and sold candy bars to hungry concertgoers.
“We’ve been doing this for many years, and we really enjoy doing it,” Marshall said. He is the owner of John Marshall Catering, which provided the food the Rotarians had on offer. “It’s been a lot of fun over the years,” he said.
The Rotarians also hosted a 50/50 raffle for concertgoers.
The crowd seemed to have a good time at what was the last of this season’s concerts.
“I like that there’s a lot of different variety of music, I like that they have the Rotary Grill, and I like that it’s family friendly ... especially when you have a child, it’s nice to have a park behind you for kids to play in,” Lauren VanHoose, a concertgoer, said. VanHoose’s father is a Rotarian. “There’s a good mix of music. My dad’s been doing this for years.”
Attendees set up their picnic blankets and chairs an hour before the concert in the hopes of getting a good seat to listen to the music. After a formal welcome, Stampede played to an enthusiastic crowd.
In the front, a couple wearing cowboy hats danced along as the music rang out through the park.
“We’ve got some nice crowds here tonight,” Rotarian Craig VanHoose said.
The event lasted until about 8:30 p.m. and marked the end of the Cranberry Summer Concert Series for this year.
Stampede performs on stage at the Cranberry Summer Concert Series on Thursday, Aug. 8. Vayda Pascarella/Butler Eagle
Donna Orlovsky, left, and Marleen McClellan listen to the band Stampede play at the last of the Cranberry Summer Concert Series events for the season on Thursday, Aug. 8. Vayda Pascarella/Butler Eagle
