Better Than Ezra to headline Arts on the Allegheny concert

The alternative rock band Better Than Ezra will headline a free Arts on the Allegheny concert July 23 at the John P. Murtha Amphitheater in Kittanning’s Riverfront Park.

The nonprofit offers free arts and entertainment events at the park and other venues. Last year, Blues Traveler drew upward of 7,000 people, some of whom came from neighboring states, said Mary Ann Valasek, chairwoman of Arts on the Allegheny.

“The concerts have become something that everybody in the area looks forward to,” she said.

Arts on the Allegheny will offer another free concert by a much-loved band Aug. 27, Valasek said. The nonprofit will announce details later this summer.

Previous Arts on the Allegheny concerts have featured other national and local recording artists, including Eddie Money, Los Lobos, The Clarks, JJ Grey and Gaelic Storm.

The band The Wait will open the Better Than Ezra concert at 7 p.m. The event starts at 5, when food trucks, as well as beer and wine vendors, start serving.

Raffle tickets and a 50-50 drawing will be featured for fundraising for the nonprofit that is producing the free concerts.

Tracie Leshock Bowser from Experience Armstrong, the county’s tourism bureau, said the concerts are among the most popular events in the county.

Other big events this year include the Fort Armstrong Folk Festival (Aug. 4-7), Dayton Fair (Aug. 15-20), Kittanning Boat Races: Riverbration (Aug. 19-21) and September by the River in Freeport (Sept. 17-18), she said.

The Better Than Ezra event will run from 5 to 11 p.m. To learn more, visit the Arts on the Allegheny Facebook page.