Get ready to enjoy a summer afternoon or evening full of music, food and of course your fellow Cincinnati neighbors. The Festivals of Neighbors Committee is hosting the 2023 Music Festival series. After the successful turnout of last year's festival, the East Walnut Hills Assembly and the Evanston Community Council wanted to produce another year of coming together through the power of music.
"Well, with everything that goes on in the world, with all the political turmoil, people are so divided," said one of the founders of the Festivals of Neighbors, Marye Ward. "The one thing that we can mostly agree on is music. Music is that one thing that brings people together."
This free, family-friendly affair is a four-part series that kicked off in June.
The second festival of the summer — Jam Fest with Push Play and the CSO-Brady Block Party — will be held on Saturday, July 15 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Owl's Nest Park. The entire Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will serenade the community with music inspired by the Queens of Kings Records.
While the present-day summer series is a four-part music festival, the original festival started as one concert held in 2021. Eventually the festival was able to expand to a variety of locations due to help from the community, along with the two other founders, Beverley Lamb and Christine Johnson, explained Ward.
"We figured, you know it would be easier for us to all join and work together on these projects," she said.
As someone who was born and raised in Evanston, the Cincinnati community will always have a special place in Ward's heart.
"We decided to continue our festivals every year moving forward with the hope of bringing neighbors out to meet each other. I personally feel people will have certain ideas about other people they don't know. But when you come out and you find that common ground, you'll see that people are not that much different than they think. We're pretty much all the same," said Ward.
Due to Ward living in Evanston throughout her life, she has witnessed the construction of I-71 through the neighborhood. Since then, she explained that the community has felt divided. However, Ward hopes that the festival will continue to have a positive impact.
"Our goal is to bring everybody out. You won't know anyone if you stay secluded, or if you only talk to certain neighbors. Everyone needs to come out and understand that we are all Evanston," she said.
According to Ward, The Festivals of Neighbors are expecting 200 to 300 people this summer, so make sure to bring your favorite lawn chair and a blanket, too.
Can't make it to a festival this summer? Mark your calendars for two more festivals that will be held on Saturday, Sept. 2 and Oct. 7.
For more information on the 2023 Summer Music Festival Series visit festivalsofneighbors.org
