Chicopee-Holyoke-Westfield - Oakland Stroke ~ Downtown Live! Friday Night Summer Concert Series in Downtown Westfield!
Oakland Stroke ~ Downtown Live! Friday Night Summer Concert Series in Downtown Westfield!
Details:
The Downtown Live! Friday Night Summer Concert Series, produced by ArtWorks Westfield, is nearing the completion its 10th season! Where has the past decade gone??? Tonight's debut performance of Oakland Stroke on the WESTFIELD BANK STAGE at the Elm Street Plaza in the heart of the Downtown Westfield Cultural District was originally scheduled for July 3rd. Extreme high heat and humidity necessitated the postponement of that show ... to today! Launched as The Locals on the Lot by Westfield On Weekends in 2016, ArtWorks Westfield assumed production of the summer concert series in 2018 and rebranded the series as the Downtown Live! Friday Night Summer Concert Series in the cozy confines of the performance space adjacent to Mina's Wine & Spirits. The center city downtown Westfield, eight-week summer concert series tradition continues for its 10th season in 2026, and third season at the Elm Street Plaza. These FREE community musical experiences happen each Friday evening from 7-9pm from June 26th to August 14th, with several rain dates built into the mix. TONIGHT IS ONE OF THOSE MAKE UP DATES! Beverages served up by White Lion Brewing Company and Skyline Brewing Company will be available for purchase at each performance. The 2026 Downtown Live! Friday Night Summer Concert Series features an exciting mix of new and returning talent. Three of the eight bands are making their series debut, two return from the 2025 season, and the rest are familiar favorites who have energized Downtown Live! audiences since as far back as 2021. From classic crowd-pleasers to fresh new sounds, this year's diverse lineup truly offers something for everyone! This concert series is FREE to the community to attend! The performance space opens at 6:00pm, White Lion Brewing and Skyline Brewing open at 6:30pm, and the show begins at 7:00pm. Lots of FREE parking! Bring a lawn chair, picnic blanket and your dancing shoes! Yes there will be dancing!! Bringing alcohol into the performance space is strictly prohibited. RIDE YOUR BIKE! You can ride your bike to the show! The Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail, Inc. offer a FREE Bike Valet service at each show. Take the Columbia Greenway Trail Rail to each show using the three different downtown exits to the Elm Street Plaza, valet your bike and enjoy the show. For that matter, you can ride your bike from anywhere! Join us for a summer of music, community, and fun—everyone is welcome. Make It A Friday Night Out in downtown Westfield!
OAKLAND STROKE brings the electrifying sound of the 1970s San Francisco Bay Area to audiences throughout Western Massachusetts and beyond. This powerhouse 13-piece band features the dynamic vocals of Donna-Lee De Prille, the renowned Bump City Horns, Latin percussion, and a rhythm section that keeps audiences dancing all night long.
Led by local music legend Ted Wirt and founded in 2014, Oakland Stroke captures the unmistakable 1970s East Bay groove made famous by Tower of Power, Santana, and other iconic Bay Area artists. Their extensive repertoire includes fan favorites from Tower of Power, Santana, Boz Scaggs, Cold Blood, Janis Joplin, Buddy Miles, Sly Stone, and more, delivered with authenticity, passion, and exceptional musicianship.
Perfect for outdoor festivals, summer concert series, and community celebrations, Oakland Stroke creates an irresistible party atmosphere wherever they perform. Their powerful horn arrangements, soulful vocals, infectious rhythms, and crowd-pleasing energy transform every performance into a dance-filled celebration that gets audiences on their feet and keeps them moving.
Whether performing at festivals, breweries, clubs, or special events, Oakland Stroke delivers a vibrant concert experience that celebrates the rich musical legacy of the San Francisco Bay Area while creating unforgettable memories for audiences of all ages.
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Downtown Live! Friday Night Summer Concert Series is made possible in part through the generosity of our donors and members of ArtWorks of Westfield. For more on the Downtown Live! Concerts, ArtWorks Westfield events, or ways to support and become involved ArtWorks Westfield projects, visit us on the web at www.artworkswestfield.com/
About Downtown Live! Friday Night Summer Concert Series:
Entering the tenth summer season of bringing local and region musical talent to the cozy confines of downtown Westfield and the Downtown Westfield Cultural District, the Downtown Live! Friday Night Summer Concerts series is a production of ArtWorks of Westfield Inc., an all-volunteer, non-profit community organization committed to promoting diverse art and cultural experiences in the city and supported by a grant from the Westfield Cultural Council, a local agency, supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Major underwriting support is provided by Aero Fastener, Westfield Bank, C&S Wholesale Grocers, PeoplesBank, Pioneer Valley Trading Company, Bananalovemuffin Creative Illustration & Design, White Lion Brewing Company, Downtown Westfield Cultural District, Westfield Gas & Electric, Window World of Western Massachusetts, bankESB, Northside Creamery and our very generous pARTners in the ARTs supporting sponsors, including Vivid Hair Salon, Park Square Realty, Tangles Hair Salon, Kasperowski Family Dentistry, John Morizio Bershire Hathaway Homeservices, Family of Francis & Kathleen Friguglietti, Two Rivers Burrito, Sawhein Oddities, NextGen Roofing, Turinian Jewelers, Pioneer Land Planning, The Lumber Centre, Café Zerno, Maple Leaf Pub, New Horizons Bikes, Richard "Kick" Sullivan III Lyon & Fitzpatrick LLP, Keith G. Roy Construction, Inc., KGR Tax & Accounting, Lisa Oleksak-Sullivan, Realtor in MA & CT, Mina's Wine & Spirits.
About ArtWorks of Westfield Inc.:
ArtWorks of Westfield Inc., a local arts & cultural organization promoting the rich and talented artistic diversity of Westfield and the surrounding communities, is a tax exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501 (c) (3). Membership and donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Our mission is to create and promote the widest variety of Cultural Arts, Literary Arts, Musical Events, and Performing Arts for the Westfield Community and to collaborate with businesses and invested groups to develop and maintain venues for presentations and performances.
We aspire to bring together creatives and community to engage, inform, inspire, empower, educate and entertain in the heart of downtown Westfield.
