Grab a blanket, a chair, a one of those personal fans with a built in mister, and enjoy a full line up of music in the Everhart Park.
Every summer, on and off, since 1970 West Chester has been hosting its very own music festival, a local celebration of the season. The laid back festival has the feel of the another area. Maybe it’s all the tie-dye and crochet-embellished clothing for sale or maybe it’s the concert’s organic beginnings – just a group of musicians and the friends that came to see them play – but there is something simple and nostalgic about the whole production – if you ignore the zip line.
After being forced to cancel last year due to COVID-19, Turks Head is back and going strong 50 (and 1) years after that first concert in the park. The concert has been moved this year from its usual date on the fourth Sunday in July to September but the expect the same open invitation to wander over and rock-out with your neighbors. Don’t plan, just come and listen to the music. Keep reading for more details about this year’s event.
The 38th Annual Turks Head Music Festival
What: Turks Head Music Festival
When: Sunday, September 19 from 12 – 8 pm
Where: Everhart Park, West Chester
Who: 8 local and regional bands playing on two stages
Plus, artisans, shops, food vendors, and a kid’s play area with moon bounce.
Why: After being postponed last year due to COVID, Turks Head is back with a new September date. While always fun in the summer, avoiding some of the year’s hottest heat can only add to the enjoyment.
5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Turks Head Music Festival (and 2 you might)
- At its peak in 1985 – it is estimated more than 10,000 people attended the festival.
- The first unofficial concert was held on the lawn in Everhart Park on May 31, 1970. It is believed between 400-500 people attended.
- In 1982 the semi-regular concert in the park became an official music festival run and regulated by West Chester’s Parks & Recreation department.
- The festival has long had a precarious relationship with residents around the park, many years racking up noise, traffic and parking complaints. (You can read the transcripts of past complaints to Borough Council here.)
- In 1987 there was a petition to move the concert out of the park and out of the Borough to West Chester University’s Farrell Stadium and to charge a fee. Luckily that petition was quickly squashed.
- Over the years the event has grown beyond bands adding food, retail and other entertainment.
- The music festival is typically held on the fourth Sunday in July. It was moved this year to give COVID infection rates ample time to go down.
Turks Head Music Festival is not the only option for catching live music in West Chester this summer, it’s just the biggest. Single-act concerts have also been scheduled for Marshall Square and Hoopes Park.