The 2025 festival marks a transition as it was put together by former SAC executive director Tim Rowe, who retired in 2024, and current executive director Krissy Brown, who welcomed the planning of SAC’s signature event.
Brown said some of the agents and acts were familiar with her from her many years at the SAC and others weren’t so sure, but it all fell into place.
“It was fun to piece together. There were a lot things we’d talked about beforehand,” she said. “There is enough for those who have loved the festival for years, but some new things for a different age group we’ve been wanting to have shows for.”
One of the focuses this year is on the community, something the SAC has talked about for years with the title “Celebrate Springfield!” on June 28. It will feature five local bands starting at the special time of 5 p.m. with Allison Road, which was voted best band in the 2022 Best of Springfield competition, headlining after performing a successful show in the 2024 festival.
“There are so many amazing local bands. The goal is to have a whole day of celebrating the amazing things in Springfield with local food trucks and more. We wanted to use our platform to get the word out and if it’s successful our hope is to make this an all-day event in the future,” Brown said.
June 18-20 will highlight local performers at this year’s Broadway in the Park presentation of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” The past few festival local productions focused on younger performers and this will open the cast for ages 3-70.
“’Joseph’ is an all-age family show. I love we can cast anyone of any race or gender its so flexible and an opportunity for so many people of a wider age range, and it’s a recognizable title,” said Brown.
KidsFest will return on June 22 with plenty for kids and families to enjoy with another fresh addition, the Youth Arts Ambassadors’ performance of the show “Legally Blonde Jr.” and performances all day.
A dance performance by two local organizations was well-received in 2024 and this year the Gary Geis School of Dance and Ohio Performing Arts Institute will take the audience Dancing Around the World on July 2. Brown said this is an example of the diversity of the festival’s acts, which aren’t just musical concerts.
Springfield native singer-songwriter Griffin House, who has performed in most every festival for the past several years, will again open the series on June 12 and the festival’s longest-tenured act, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, will play its annual set on July 6.
While tribute acts are a popular festival staple, keeping them fresh and reaching new and changing audiences challenges the organizers. Brown may have come up with a winner in a tribute to probably the most popular performer in the world.
Taylor Swift tribute Are You Ready for It? on July 10 will give a taste of what has created a Swift mania and sold out across the world over the past two years.
“This will bring that energy to the park and there will be a lot of dressing up with friends, a real girls’ night,” Brown said.
Critter acts are traditionally popular and this year will offer Wild World of Animals, which will bring everything from leopards and mandrills to cobras on June 29. Trio Chapel Hart, which earned a top-five placing on “America’s Got Talent,” will bring a different take on country music on June 21 and a cappella band Duwende mixes funk/pop sounds with bass and beatbox in a diverse way on July 10 are among the new acts
Arguably the festival’s most anticipated tribute, Resurrection: A Journey Tribute, will faithfully play its annual show on June 14. Audiences can look forward to tributes to Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, Jimmy Buffett, Tom Petty.
Brown stressed the community can take heart in knowing she’ll continue what has made this one of the country’s longest running such admission-free series for nearly six decades.
“I’m not changing traditions or the heart of what this festival is, but continue to keep the tradition as well as introduce new things,” she said.
Lawn chairs and blankets may be set up beginning at 6 a.m. on the day of events. For more information, go to springfieldartscouncil.org.
2025 Summer Arts Festival schedule
(All shows start at 8 p.m. unless noted)
June 12, Griffin House
June 13, Fleetwood Gold: The Fleetwood Mac Experience
June 14, Resurrection: A Journey Tribute
June 18-20, Broadway in the Park: “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
June 21, Chapel Hart
June 22, noon to 4 p.m. KidsFest featuring YAA musical “Legally Blonde Jr.”
June 25 Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers
June 26, Material Girls
June 27, ABBAMania
June 28, 5 p.m. Celebrate Springfield!, five local bands with headliner Allison Road
June 29, Wild World of Animals
July 2, Dancing Around the World with the Gary Geis School of Dance and Ohio Performing Arts Institute
July 3, Brass Tracks Band
July 5, Parrots of the Caribbean
July 6, Springfield Symphony Orchestra
July 9, Duwende
July 10, Are You Ready for It?: Taylor Swift Tribute
July 11, The Pettybreakers: A Tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
July 12, Phil Dirt and the Dozers
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