Hazleton announces Rockin' The Mountain summer concert series

Gabrielle Lang, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·4 min read

Feb. 22—HAZLETON — The City of Hazleton is partnering up with Visit Luzerne County to present the inaugural Rockin' the Mountain music series at City View Park for three Friday nights in summer 2024.

These family-friendly outdoor concerts will be free and open to the public. Food and drink vendors will also be available. Rockin' The Mountain will showcase a regional opening act followed by a prominent tribute band for the headliners.

For three consecutive weeks, the community is invited to Friday night shows starting at 5:00 p.m. with music beginning at 6:00 p.m. The concert series kicks off June 21 with Philadelphia Freedom: A Tribute to Elton John and opener, Six Shots.

On June 28, catch An Evening with Stevie: A Tribute to Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac with opening act, Leighann & Company.

Then, on July 5, City View Park will host Danny V's 52nd Street Band: A Tribute to Billy Joel, with Ostrich Hat as the opening band.

This new summer concert series is a spin-off from Visit Luzerne County's popular Rocking' The River music series held in July annually at Wilkes-Barre's River Commons since 2019. Now, the City of Hazleton is taking that same energy from the river up the mountain.

"We've always done smaller events, but we wanted to expand this year. We did some local bands last year as headliners and had great turn outs. We just figured — let's get bigger," said Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat. "If they did it up in North, why shouldn't we try it down here?"

Mayor Jeff Cusat is looking forward to bringing this excitement to the community, the region, and especially to City View Park — a site that he's very passionate about.

Over his time as mayor, he's been developing City View Park. When he came into office, it was a spacious 16 acres that wasn't being utilized the way it could have been. Now, the city's added pavilions, seating, a stage, playground, walking trail, dog park, and overall accessibility. The city of Hazleton looks forward to bringing even more people to the revamped park with the concerts this summer.

"We have worked extremely hard to improve the parks and recreational areas of the city. City View Park, the host of Rockin' the Mountain, is a true hidden gem buried in the coal region," said Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat.

Mayor Jeff Cusat said entertainment has always been his thing. He ran restaurants before he was Mayor of Hazleton, so he's familiar with putting on a successful event and looks forward to tapping into that knowledge for Rockin' the Mountain.

Everyone sounded excited for the opportunity to bring another memorable music experience to the area. Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo approached Visit Luzerne County about the possibility of bringing a new concert series to the City of Hazleton for the upcoming summer and they were happy to get involved.

"We've already assembled a great planning committee, based in Hazleton, and it's been great working with Mayor Cusat and his team. Visit Luzerne County is very committed to serving all of Luzerne County, we've always had a deep commitment to supporting events in Southern Luzerne County, and we look forward to helping bring these three great nights of music to the Hazleton community," said Alan Stout, Executive Director of Visit Luzerne County.

Ali McKittrick, Hazleton's Parks and Recreation Director added, "Live music events like this one invite people to relive their best memories and make new ones together. Music is the closest thing we have to a time machine. And when you see these live bands at Rockin' the Mountain, you will feel like you are traveling back in time with your best friends of today."

Come out to Rockin' the Mountain in City View Park this summer for three weeks of free concerts and "mountains of fun" in the park. These non-profit events are made possible by community collaboration.

Confirmed sponsorsare Lehigh Valley Health Network, Visit Luzerne County, The Luzerne Foundation, Park Place Properties, LLC, Hazleton Eye Specialists, Donald G. Karpowich, Attorney at Law. P.C., Posture, and Greater Hazleton CAN DO. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Hazleton Parks & Recreation at 570-459-4960 ext. 611.