The Annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival week 3 starts Tuesday, July 11th and runs through Sunday, July 16th. Join us at 8:30 p.m. ever night, except Tuesday Night Family Series that starts at 7:30 p.m. The performances are held at the Chapin Rainbow Stage, Heckscher Park located on Prime Ave & Main Street in Huntington. All performances are free admission and open to the general public. For more information about the entire Huntington Summer Arts Festival visit www.huntingtonarts.org or call 631-271-8423.
The Tuesday Night Family Series continues on Tuesday, July 11th with Oran Etkin's "Timbalooloo" - Oran Etkin is both an internationally acclaimed jazz and world music artist whose music is featured on a GRAMMY Award winning album, and also the creator of the groundbreaking Timbalooloo method of enriching the musicality of young children which has been endorsed by Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, Harvey Keitel, Ken Burns and Edie Falco (all of whom enrolled their children in Oran Etkin's Timbalooloo music classes). *The Huntington Arts Council will be providing a fun, easy and free craft for children at 6:30p.m. every Tuesday night before the Family Night Series performance begins.
Wednesday, July 12th - Huntington Community Band - Pre-concert @ 7:30 (TBA) - 8:30PM HCB Downbeat - Tonight's HCB concert theme is "MUSICAL MILESTONES" featuring an eclectic mix of exciting music from The Beatles, John Williams and many more selections that you'll recognize as milestones that we have come to love. Special guest soloist Christine Dore returns as featured pianist in THE BEST OF SCOTT JOPLIN. Shane Helfner (HCB's principal oboist and band director in the Port Washington Public Schools) joins us as guest conductor. *A special PRE-CONCERT with The HCB Brass Quintet will be performing in the park near the stage at 7:30!
Thursday, July 13th, - Blues/Soul/R&B/Gospel - The Sherman Holmes Project honors The Holmes Brothers repertoire with a blend of renewed energy, wisdom and youthful respect for timeless traditions. 2015 brought loss and change to acclaimed soul/blues/gospel band The Holmes Brothers with the passing of drummer Willie "Popsy" Dixon and Wendell Holmes. Older brother Sherman Holmes continues to explore The Holmes Brothers legacy, leading a new band and launching a CD in July, 2017. Renowned for his deeply soulful baritone voice and his unique, blues to jazz to funk, bass style, Sherman has been called an American Treasure. He has performed and recorded with such artists as Van Morrison, Joan Osborne, Odetta, Willie Nelson, Levon Helm, and Rosanne Cash. Winners of two Blues Foundation Awards (2005 & 2008), The Holmes Brothers were honored with a NEA National Heritage Fellowship in 2014, the highest honor the United States bestows upon its folk and traditional artists.
* The Northport Community Band will be performing at 8:30pm at the Robert W. Krueger Bandstand in Northport Village Park at the foot of Main Street, Northport. Listeners can sit on blankets or lawn chairs in front of the bandstand, or even enjoy the music from their boats. The band's musicians are volunteers from all walks of life and include local students, teachers and professional musicians.*
Friday, July 14th - Spanish Dance Sol y Sombra - "Carnival to Semana Santa" - Sol y Sombra will be joined by guest artist, Quenia Ribeiro and her Brazilian Dance Company for a concert of the music and dance from Rio's Carnival to the famous Easter Feria of Sevilla, Spain. Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Co, was established more than 25 years ago to promote the exciting art of Hispanic music & dance. Under the artistic direction of Maria Loreta, the company presents programs of Flamenco, Spanish Classical & Folk, Mexican, Argentine Tango and Latin Dance, as well as traditional dances from throughout the Hispanic world. Get the energy up for Carnival learning simple samba for party dancing! No partner necessary! Samba Workshop with Maria Loreta & Sol y Sombra at 7:30PM before the concert!
Let the park and performers inspire your creativity! We invite artists to come early and create prior to the start of the evening performance. This evening, July 14th, will be devoted to photographers. We encourage artists to email us at info@huntingtonarts.org their best image to add to our website, showcasing the works created.
Saturday, July 15th - Broadway & Great American Song Book Jay Armstrong Johnson - Known for his thrilling vocal prowess, Jay Armstrong Johnson has wowed Broadway audiences in On The Town, Hands on a Hardbody, Hair and Catch Me If You Can. He starred opposite Emma Thompson as Anthony Hope in the New York Philharmonic's Sweeney Todd. His performance as Herman in Encores' The Most Happy Fella was hailed by The New York Times as "a standout". TV audiences know him as Dr. Will Olsen from last season of the hit ABC drama "Quantico". Don't miss this eclectic show (with quartet, back-up singers, and special guests) featuring songs from Broadway to radio pop to gospel.
Sunday, July 16th - World Music - Briga - Singer/songwriter and fiddler, Briga is the daughter of a Polish father, and a Québecoise mother. Her music is a reflection of her fragmented identity - half instrumental, half written in French and English, all accompanied by her fervent violin. Firmly rooted in eastern European and Romani folk rhythms, her unique sound is described as a Balkan/Quebecois mash-up, delivered with a Turbo Folk edge, wrapped up in heavy grooves that drive her wailing violin and sweet voice. Briga is supported by her Montréal based quartet: Alix Guéry (accordeon & keys), Tacfarinas Kichou (bindir, darbouka, ryk, guellal), Marton Maderspach (fiddle, tupan, drums), and Grégoire Carrier-Bonneau (bass).
All performances during the Summer Arts Festival are free and held on the Chapin Rainbow Stage in Heckscher Park, Huntington. The festival runs from June 27th through August 13th. All performances begin at 8:30 p.m. unless it is a Tuesday evening because the "Family Series" events begin at 7:30 p.m. The Summer Arts Festival is produced by the Town of Huntington and presented by the Huntington Arts Council. Canon U.S.A. is a presenting sponsor. Additional support is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts and the County of Suffolk. For more information and to download a full calendar of the Festival performances go to www.huntingtonarts.org or call 631-271-8423.
Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support of the Huntington Summer Arts Festival.
Government Support: Town of Huntington, County of Suffolk and NYSCA
Canon - Season Sponsor, Daniel Gale/Sotheby's, Philips Boyne, Astoria Bank, Folk Music Society of Huntington, Weber Law Group, Start to Finish.
In-Kind Sponsors: King Kullen, Konig and Meyer, Korg USA, Samson - Hartke, and D'Addario & Co.