Lancaster Festival celebrating 35 years of campus, community collaboration
For the past 34 years, a Lancaster campus-community collaboration has served as both a reunion, bringing Fairfield County residents of the past and present together, and a summer destination for those eager to experience the arts.
This July marks the 35th anniversary of the Lancaster Festival, an annual event celebrating art, music and community. The 2019 Lancaster Festival kicks off on July 17 and runs through July 27, offering 11 days of unique artistic encounters, musical performances, cultural programming and family fun for all ages.
The festival dates back to the summer of 1984 when the Columbus Symphony Orchestra held a Picnic and Pops concert at Ohio University Lancaster – the first concert to be hosted at the campus’ outdoor venue. Thirty-five years later, this annual celebration has expanded to 11 days of activities held throughout the community and in collaboration with many local businesses and organizations.
Ohio University’s Lancaster Campus continues to host the festival’s largest musical acts, which this year include award-winning country musician Sara Evans and classic rock band Kansas. Concert-goers looking to make some Bobcat connections are invited to stop by the OHIO Hospitality Tent that will be located at the concert venue.
The festival also serves as the opening for Ohio University Lancaster Theatre’s annual community production. The 2019 production, “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” debuts July 21 and runs through Aug. 4 in the Lancaster Campus’ Wagner Theatre.
In addition to being a source of community pride and togetherness, the Lancaster Festival serves as economic driver for Central Ohio, bringing tourism dollars to the region. According to a 2018 Economic and Fiscal Impact Report, last year’s festival had an estimated $8.9 million impact on the state of Ohio, bringing more than 40,000 attendees to the Lancaster community and generating $3.5 million in visitor spending.
For more information on the Lancaster Festival and this year’s event, click here.