Park History and Past Shows

The AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival has been staged on the land that is today the Peoples Natural Gas Park with temporary infrastructure since 2004 (when it was still known as the AmeriServ Johnstown FolkFest).

Fest history

A $2 million matching grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project was awarded to the Johnstown Area Heritage Association (JAHA) in spring 2008 for the park’s development. In 2011, the Peoples Natural Gas donation completed the match, and the park was built and opened in time for the 2012 season.

Other major grants include a $100,000 grant from the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation. The Johnstown Redevelopment Authority provided matching EPA Brownfield Cleanup funds and assisted in undertaking an environmental assessment and obtaining PA DEP Environmental Clearance. A grant for design costs was obtained from the Community Conservation Program, Growing Greener Fund.

A $100,000 grant from Mark Pasquerilla assisted with initial improvements to the property. Other donors to the park include William Polacek; the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission; JAHA’s Board of Directors; and other supporters and friends of JAHA.

Here is a list of non-festival concerts presented since 2012 at Peoples Natural Gas Park, either inside the Community Foundation Oilhouse or outside on the Polacek Pavilion, presented wholly by or in collaboration with the Johnstown Area Heritage Association (live music events JAHA does not play an active role in producing, such as Thunder in the Valley/Rumble in the Valley, 1st Summit PolkaFest, or Homegrown Music & Community Festival, are not included here). Co-presenters are listed in parentheses.

2024

June 29: Gabe Stillman with Stone Bridge Blues Band
July 6: Billy Price Band with Miss Freddye’s Blues Band
July 13: Kitchen Dwellers with Stone Throwers (St. Vincent DePaul)
August 16: HABATAT and FLOWERCHILD
August 24: Lawrence with special guests Carly Moffa Trio and The Platelets (Highlands Health)

2023

June 16: Michael Ray (Drusky Entertainment)
July 1: The Hypochondriacs with Screech Owl
July 8: Tab Benoit with Anthony Rosano & the Conqueroos (St. Vincent De Paul)
July 22: Dirty Grass Players with Landline
August 18: Eem Triplin (Markow Productions)
August 19: Big Fat Mallard with Chris Vipond & Stanley Street Band
August 26: Melvin Seals & JGB with special guest Ron Holloway plus FlowerChild (Highlands Health)

2022

May 21: Classic Vinyl Concert Series Band with Smooth Sound (Jammin for Jabs)
July 2: John Gresh’s Gris-Gris
July 9: Plate Scrapers
July 14: Get the Led Out (Drusky Entertainment)
August 11: Katie Henry Band (Oilhouse Live)
August 13: Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience
August 20: Scott Miller (Strugglebuggy Productions)
August 27: Lords of 52nd Street (Highlands Health)
September 24: Billy Price (St. Vincent De Paul)

2021

July 9: The National Reserve
July 24: Buffalo Rose
August 16: Ana Popovic (Oilhouse Live)
October 22: FlowerChild
November 12: Joe Louis Walker (Oilhouse Live)

2019

June 8: The National Reserve
June 29: Beauty Slap
August 24: Donnie Iris & the Cruisers (Highlands Health)
October 19: Eric Tessmer

2018

June 7: Tab Benoit (Lucky Dog Management)
July 3: Beauty Slap
August 25: The Clarks and Joe Grushecky (Highlands Health)
September 15: Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas

2017

June 17: Billy Price Band with Jimmy Adler
August 26: Scythian (Highlands Health)
September 16: Eric Tessmer Band

2016

August 26: Galactic with Joe Grushecky and Jarekus Singleton (Highlands Health)

2015

August 29: Anders Osborne (Highlands Health)

2014

August 22: Tab Benoit and Jimmy Adler

2013

June 14: 10,000 Maniacs (Community Foundation for the Alleghenies)
July 19: Marc Broussard Trio
August 9: Jesse Dee
September 13: Lake Street Dive

2012

June 16: Black Coffee, Eilen Jewell, Los Straitjackets, Tab Benoit (Peoples Natural Gas Park dedication)
July 27: Chris Smither
July 5: Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds
August 17: JJ Grey & Mofro
September 28: Roomful of Blues