August 2-3
Johnstown, PA
2019
The Johnstown Area Heritage Association (JAHA) today announced that Ron Carnevali has returned to chair the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival. He succeeds Terry Deitz, who chaired the event in 2017-2018, but recently moved to Scranton to pursue a professional opportunity. Carnevali has a long history with the festival, having served as its chair from 1993 through 2012, and has also served on JAHA’s board of directors.
“Live music has always been a passion of mine, and I’ve never missed a day of the festival – even when I wasn’t in charge,” Carnevali said. “It is exciting to be back, and we’re looking forward to getting started.”
Carnevali said that he has appreciated many of the changes that have been made to the event since he last served, and will continue with many of them. In particular, he expects that the festival will continue to be held within the boundaries of Peoples Natural Gas Park.
“The development of the park was really Ron’s idea – especially the reuse of an abandoned industrial building that is now the Community Foundation Oilhouse,” said Richard Burkert, president of JAHA. “Helping to get the planning and funding in place so that the park could become a reality was Ron’s signature accomplishment as chair, and we’re delighted to have him back.”
“I remember walking into that building before the park was built – we used to store tons of bulky festival stuff in there, like chairs and platforms — and thinking, ‘okay, I trust Ron, but I just don’t see it,’” said Shelley Johansson, director of communications for JAHA. “Today it’s a wonderful special events facility, a centerpiece for downtown where all kinds of events can be held, and the Stone Bridge lights shine every evening. It’s been a remarkable transformation.”
The festival will continue working with SMG, and AmeriServ continues as title sponsor.
“AmeriServ has been the event’s title sponsor since the very beginning,” Carnevali said. “We are grateful for their ongoing and steadfast support through the festival’s many years of evolution.”
Carnevali noted that there may be slight tweaks to the event as in past years, and that music fans can continue to expect a great lineup the first weekend in August.
“We’ve got some great ideas, and we’re looking forward to putting on a great festival,” Carnevali said.
Hey, procrastinators! Yes, you can get your tickets at the gate if you haven’t bought in advance. Also, please note the following:
Security: In order to provide a secure atmosphere and ensure the safety of our guests, everyone will be screened before entering the park. Please leave guns and knives at home.
Bring your ID: Everyone, regardless of age or appearance, will be carded if they wish to purchase alcoholic beverages.
No chairs, no coolers, no dogs: Please do not bring camping chairs or coolers! Ample general admission seating is available at all stages. Service animals in harness are welcome, but otherwise no pets are allowed.
We are on, rain or shine: We may be dodging raindrops a little bit today (Friday) especially, but we are on! Umbrellas are allowed but can be problematic in crowds, as the water tends to drip on your neighbor — we encourage you to bring a poncho or raincoat instead.
The Johnstown Area Heritage Association (producers of the festival) today announced that Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas will play the final show in the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Concert Series on Sept. 15! The free show is one of several exciting post-festival concerts and events — check out the August and September calendar here.
Here are some highlights of festival press so far! We’ll continue to update as the week goes on.
Artist interviews on Forever radio stations: Blues Traveler, Derek Woods Band, Bastard Bearded Irishmen, Andy Frasco, Amelia Eisenhauer and more to come!
Preview feature in The Tribune-Democrat
‘A perfect fit’: Blues Traveler to highlight fan favorites with its new music: The Tribune-Democrat features an interview with BT guitarist Chandler Kinchla
Legends live on in Devon Allman Project: Band to headline opening of festival along with Pittsburgh’s Hillbilly Way A Tribune-Democrat feature.
Return engagement: Country-rock band Pure Prairie League has ‘a lot of friends in Johnstown’: From The Tribune-Democrat: “We’ve got a lot of friends in Johnstown dating back to the 1970s,” said bassist Mike Reilly.
Post-Gazette callout in “Best Pittsburgh concerts this week”: “There are no names more revered in the Southern rock world than Allman and Betts. Now, people can see what the sons can do, together. Duane Betts, son of Dickey Betts, hooks up with the Devon Allman Project, led by the son of the late Gregg Allman, as the Friday night headliner at the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival in Johnstown.”
The time has come to announce our Best Seat in the House winners! Congratulations to Lisa Rohde, Heather Hartland, Whitney Torok and Rob Kaminski, who will receive a 3-hour slot at the festival in a luxurious spa for themselves and 5 friends!! The 1st Summit Arena at Cambria County War Memorial will be contacting winners today (July 31). Our thanks to everyone who entered!
Always an important piece of information — the beers that will be available at this year’s music festival!
Beers and other malt beverages include:
Budweiser/Bud Light
Devil’s Backbone Pear Lager
Goose Island IPA
Hemperor
Hoop Iced Teas
IC Light
Mangorita
Michelob Ultra
Shock Top
Spaten
SpikedSeltzer
Wolf Pup
Yuengling
CamTran is graciously extending Inclined Plane hours during the festival, for the convenience of residents who wish to ride to the festival and visitors who might want to experience the Incline! Hours are as follows:
Friday, August 3: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 a.m.
Saturday, August 4: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.
….and it all looks delicious! Visit our vendor page for details on all the local vendors who’ll be at the festival.
The summer schedule at Peoples Natural Gas Park just got better, with a benefit show for the Highlands Health Clinic (formerly Free Medical Clinic)! The August 25 event will feature regional favorites The Clarks and Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers.
For complete details on the event, including online ticketing, visit the Highlands Health website.
Together with BZ Pools & Decks, the festival is delighted to launch the Best Seat in the House contest! Four lucky winners will receive a three-hour timeslot in a luxurious spa on the festival grounds, for yourself and five friends — the best seat in the house. You can enter online or in person at BZ Pools & Decks, 1st Summit Arena at Cambria County War Memorial Box Office, or online.
The Johnstown Area Heritage Association is delighted to announce that two free concerts will be presented this summer at Peoples Natural Gas Park with the support of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. The Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Concert Series will kick off on July 3 with a funk show by Beauty Slap, with special guests Run the Meat (from Pittsburgh) and Afro n’At (Johnstown). The next show is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 18, artists TBA.
Visit the Concerts and Events at Peoples Natural Gas Park page on this site for details on this show and other events.
The festival announced two additions to the lineup today: The Marauders and Derek Woods Band! With these bands, our 2018 lineup is complete. We’ll release a detailed schedule of stages and set times in the near future — stay tuned!
Festival favorite Tab Benoit is set to play Peoples Natural Gas Park in a special event presented by Lucky Dog Productions in cooperation with the Johnstown Area Heritage Association (which produces the festival)!
A Johnstown favorite is returning on Thurs., Jun. 7! Lucky Dog Productions is presenting Louisiana blues rocker Tab Benoit at Peoples Natural Gas Park, in cooperation with JAHA. Special guest is Black Cat Moan.
Flair of Country will be on location with their food truck wide selection of items for dinner, including their famous barbeque items.
The schedule for the evening is as follows:
Tickets for the event are $20 (face value) in advance, or $25 (face value) the day of the show. They are being sold in advance through ShowClix — get them here!
Johnstown festival fans know that you get a break on ticket fees by buying your tickets in person at the Cambria County War Memorial box office. But now you can get the same great deal at The Galleria! 2-day passes and single-day tickets may now be purchased at the Gallieria’s information kiosk (located on the first floor, on the Boscov’s end of the mall). We hope this makes ticket purchase more convenient for people who live and work in Richland, or can’t stop by the War Memorial during its box office hours.
Single-day tickets to the festival are now on sale, in person at the 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial and online. If you missed early-bird pricing on 2-day passes, you can become a member of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association and get that $10 savings per pass, when you buy in person!
JAHA is a membership-based non-profit, and produces the festival — and when you become a member, you support JAHA in its overall mission of using Johnstown’s heritage to build its economic future. You can read more about JAHA’s mission and becoming a member on JAHA’s website. To join, call Deb Winterscheidt at 814-539-1889 x315 or stop by the Heritage Discovery Center or Johnstown Flood Museum.
The festival is delighted to add 6 acts to our 2018 lineup! We welcome festival favorite Bastard Bearded Irishmen, known for their raucous and entertaining blend of Celtic rock; Michigan country act Gunnar & the Grizzly Boys; Stevee Wellons Band (soul & blues); Gentleman East; Walt & Jackie, a local acoustic duo; and John Bagnato, a Johnstown native with an impressive musical resume.
Check them all out on the updated artist page! There are 2 more artists left to announce for Saturday’s lineup; in the meantime, the schedule page has also been updated with all the artists in alphabetical order by day.
Remember, early-bird prices are good on 2-day passes through 4/18 only. Get them soon!
A festival favorite returns to town on Friday, August 3 — Devon Allman, who played our event in 2010 with his band Honeytribe, and in 2012 as part of Royal Southern Brotherhood (as well as a Nov. 2011 concert in the train station) — with special guest Duane Betts!
Allman will play with his new six-piece band, The Devon Allman Project, which is now on a world tour with Duane Betts, the son of Allman Brothers co-founder Dickey Betts.
Early-bird 2-day passes are on sale now on this website, the 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial, and all Ticketmaster outlets — get them now before prices go up on April 19!
Early-bird pricing is good through April 18 at $40 (face value) for a 2-day pass, or $55 for a Oilhouse (VIP) Pass, which includes access to the Oilhouse Lounge and the site’s only full bar and indoor restrooms, as well as a special viewing area at the mainstage. But these prices are good through April 15 ONLY!
When early-bird expires, prices go up to $50 for 2-day pass, and $65 for Oilhouse! Locals, you can get the best deal by buying in person at the War Memorial box office — but hurry!
More lineup announcements coming in early April — stay tuned!
Today the festival is delighted to announce five additional acts: Pure Prairie League, Andy Frasco & the U.N., Amelia Eisenhauer & the Peruvian Farm Girls, Paul Luc, and Jazz in Your Face feat. Denise Canby! The schedule page is also live on the site, giving you a list of currently-announced artists by day (a detailed schedule with set times and stages will be posted when the complete lineup is out). Eleven artists, including local and regional acts as well as our Friday headliner, have yet to be announced. Remember, early-bird pricing on 2-day passes is good through April 15 only — get your passes now!
Just in time for holiday giving — 2-day Passes and Oilhouse (VIP) Passes are on sale now at early-bird prices, good through April 15! Visit the Pass & Ticket Options page for details. Locals, you can get a break on Ticketmaster fees by buying your passes in person at the Cambria County War Memorial.
The AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival is excited to announce our Saturday night headliner — Blues Traveler — and three additional acts! See the 2018 artists page for complete details. We expect to announce more acts later this winter, so stay tuned — but in the meantime, two-day festival Passes and Oilhouse (VIP) Passes go on sale at early-bird prices (good through April 15) on Friday, Dec. 15!
We’re already working hard on next year’s festival, which is once again set for the first weekend in August, which is August 3-4, 2018! In the meantime, we’ve published photo galleries from the 2016 and 2017 festivals. Stay tuned for more!
And another one’s in the books! It was a fantastic weekend with many highlights, and we dodged the region’s terrible weather all day on Friday (did you notice the lightning and black clouds in the distance, over the mountains during John McEuen’s set? We did, but the weather kept moving past us). We are grateful to everyone who came out and supported the event in a year with changes. We learned a lot, and we’re looking forward to an even stronger 2018.
There are many people to thank — our title sponsor, AmeriServ Financial, for so many years of steadfast support; stage sponsors First Commonwealth, 1st Summit, and Von’s United Beverage; and all the additional sponsors, in-kind donors. A special, warm thanks to all the volunteers who are instrumental to this event’s success and longevity, and to all the in-kind donors who provide a wide array of goods and services that make the festival go. Thank you all, and see you next year!
Check our our Concerts and Events at the Park page for many more exciting events coming to Peoples Natural Gas Park in August and September!
We had a great Friday at the festival, and dodged almost all of the region’s nasty weather! Saturday’s forecast looks great — see you at the festival. Gates are at noon, and tickets are available at the gate if you don’t have yours already.
It looks like we may be dodging a few raindrops on Friday especially, but the festival is on! If necessary, we will alter our schedule so that mainstage entertainment will play under cover on the pavilion — but will wait until the last minute to make that determination. We’ll keep you posted — see you tonight!
Visit the festival map page to get your download.
The Johnstown Area Heritage Association is seeking volunteers! You’ll get free admission for the day, as well as a T-shirt. Typically our volunteers work a 3-hour shift. Contact Nicole at 814-539-1889 x304, and she’ll set you up with a mutually convenient shift time!
Visit the schedule page for details on set times and stages.
The Clarks became a rock-n-roll band in the fall of 1986 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. They played their favorite songs by their musical heroes in the basements of houses and the corners of bars, sometimes for a hundred dollars, but usually just for free beer. They covered the Rave-Ups, the Plimsouls, Hoodoo Gurus, and created a template for their own music — and they’ve been favorites in this region ever since.
We’re delighted to announce that they’ll play the festival on Friday, August 4!
