All festivities are free and take place downtown around Perry Square and State Street between Fourth and Ninth Streets.
Video: See the Chalk Trail Murals at CelebrateErie 2022
Watch a video of the chalk murals created for CelebrateErie 2022 on State Street in downtown Erie.
Christopher Millette, Erie Times-News
Let the celebration begin.
CelebrateErie, the city’s annual music, food, arts and culture festival, returns downtown starting Friday.
The three-day festival, which ends on Sunday, typically attracts more than 200,000 visitors over the three days.
All festivities are free and take place downtown around Perry Square and State Street between Fourth and Ninth Streets.
Rock on: Performances by national and regional acts at CelebrateErie 2024
At a press conference on August 1, Erie Mayor Joe Schember called “CelebrateErie” the city’s premier event for bringing residents and visitors together.
“CelebrateErie truly celebrates our talented local people who make Erie such a wonderful place,” Schember said.
Here are important things to know about CelebrateErie if you plan to participate:
Food, vendors, art and more
Located in West Perry Square, CelebrateErie’s Food District features pizza, sandwiches, empanadas, ice cream, brisket and a variety of other samplings from local restaurants and food trucks. There is also a beer garden.
Also check out the Erie Insurance Marketplace between Eighth Street and South Park Row, where local vendors, artists and businesses showcase a variety of products.
In addition, there will be various retail/commercial amenities and an interactive business presentation on the CelebrateErie site.
Chalk walk (of course)
The festival’s popular Chalk Walk will feature colorful chalk murals created in a one-block area along State Street between Eighth and Ninth Streets.
Adrienne Nannen, the city’s events manager, said there will be 27 chalk murals this year.
Let the music play
The CelebrateErie main stage lineup includes:
More to know: CelebrateErie headliner Jimmy Eat World brings decades-old power pop to the main stage on Saturday
Montero, a 55-year-old Erie native now living in Florida, is a well-known salsa singer, percussionist and disc jockey. Montero will perform Friday at 6:30 p.m.
It will be Montero’s first live performance in Erie since leaving the city in 1987.
“This is really exciting for me,” Montero, a 1987 graduate of Tech Memorial High School who still has friends and family in Erie, said in a phone interview with the Erie Times-News. “The main stage is three blocks from where I grew up, at (UPMC Hamot). It’s humbling that they trust me to perform for an hour and bring my music back to Erie. It’s just out of this world and unbelievable.”
In addition, numerous other local and regional music groups of all genres will perform on CelebrateErie’s three District Stages on the festival grounds, and there will be interactive drum circles to encourage guests to participate.
Children play rock covers: YouTube rockers Attention Switch are four elementary school students. Watch them live at CelebrateErie
Parking what you are not allowed to bring with you
There are a number of public car parks within walking distance of the event, as some streets within the festival site are closed to car traffic and roadside/kiosk parking is not available in these areas:
- The Peach Street Parking Garage, 712 Peach St.
- The Erie Parking Authority Garage B, 24 E. Eighth St.
- The East 10th Street parking garage at 25 E. 10th St.
- The West Ninth Street parking garage at 120 W Ninth St.
Accessible parking is also available on the north side of West Seventh Street between State and Peach Streets and on the ground floor of the Peach Street parking garage. In addition, parking is available on various side streets near the event.
Due to the large crowds expected, city officials advise against bringing dogs or other pets unless it is a certified service animal. Concerts on the main stage are standing room only, so people should not bring chairs. Bicycles, hoverboards and skateboards are also not allowed on the main festival grounds.
For more information about the festival, including times and locations of specific performances/events, visit celebrateerie.com or facebook.com/CelebrateErie.
Contact Kevin Flowers at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @ETNflowers.
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