Rock the Park brings 10th annual music festival to Bullard on Friday, Saturday
Event helped spearhead transformation of Albion’s main park
Photo by Tom Rivers: The band 7th Heaven capped a day of music at Bullard Park on Aug. 3, 2019 during the Albion Summer Festival featuring Rock the Park. The band will close out this year’s festival with a concert starting at 9 p.m. on Saturday. This time they will be performing on the outdoor amphitheater at Bullard, instead of the stage shown in this photo. Michael Giarrizzo, left, plays guitar and sings for the band, while Terry K. is the lead singer and Dave Quick is the bass player from Kendall.
ALBION – It was a decade ago when a group of music lovers in Albion dreamed up a way to combine their passion of music with a desire to upgrade Bullard Park.
They started Rock the Park, a music festival. At the time the bands played at a dilapidated pavilion at Bullard.
But people showed up, and the profit from the festival was used to hire a grantwriter to go after big state grants to help with Bullard’s improvements.
It took a a few tries, but Albion got the grant – nearly $500,000. That dilapidated pavilion is long gone. The park now has a splash pad, new playground equipment, two new pavilions, new bathrooms, an amphitheater/performance stage, new basketball courts and other upgrades with more in the works.
Rock the Park returns for its 10th music festival on Friday and Saturday. Ron Albertson, chairman of the event, has been there since the first one.
He is grateful and very happy Rock the Park helped build momentum for the Bullard transformation, while providing a showcase for musicians and fun times for the community.
“We’re hoping for a big turnout,” Albertson said about Rock the Park. “We’re thrilled with the acceptance the community has given us.”
The 2-day performance schedule includes:
Friday
- 6 p.m. – Triple Play
- 7:30 p.m. – V3
- 9 p.m. – Bad Sign
Saturday
- 11 a.m. – Carson and Sam (acoustic stage)
- 1:30 p.m. – Shotgun Pauly
- 2:30 p.m. – Stanton
- 3:30 p.m. – Mixed Experience
- 4:30 p.m. – driVen
- 6:30 p.m. – BeatleMagic
- 9 p.m. – 7th Heaven
Albertson sees big crowds at Bullard for the Wednesday concert series throughout the summer. A July 3rd day-long celebration capped by fireworks attracted big crowds of people for several hours at the park.
Bullard also is being rented for weddings, birthday partis and other gatherings.
“We were able to get us started on grants for the park upgrades,” Albertson said. “It was a good idea with like-minded people. And then things started rolling.”
The Albion Lions Club, Masonic Lodge, Village of Albion DPW and government have been partners in the improvements. Albertson is part of a non-profit, the Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events, Inc. that helps drive many of the projects at Bullard.
New pickleball courts went in next to the basketball courts at Bullard this week. A fundraiser for a beer and wine basket at Rock the Park will raise funds for the pickleball courts.
Albertson said G-ACRE also wants to have a new concessions stand at Bullard, and revamp the baseball field in the northwest corner.
G-ACRE also wants to help upgrade some of the neighborhood parks in the village.
Rock the Park will continue to direct its revenue to Bullard. The event raised about $4,000 last year. Admission is $5 for each day of music.
“We’re trying to keep it a community event, a family event,” Albertson said. “We want to keep it inexpensive for the people in our village.”
