Find live bands, food trucks and more at 14th Fest in downtown Erie

Summer is on its way, and for the third straight year, the 14th Fest will help to kick it off by showcasing part of downtown Erie.

The festival, a creation of Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Erie Downtown Partnership, is scheduled for June 14 at East 14th Street between French and Holland streets. It is free admission and will be open to the public from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“This is our third annual 14th Fest,” said Sarah Morrison, director of marketing and public relations for EMTA. “If you look back to 2022, we unveiled our new joint operations facility (at 127 E. 14th St.) and cut the ribbon on the building to celebrate the technology and new facility that we have to serve Erie as far as transportation needs go. While we were at it, we decided, why not host a celebration for Erie?”

This ribbon cutting led to a continued partnership between the EMTA and Erie Downtown Partnership.

“We started the event three years ago because EMTA approached us with an idea to activate the corridor where their new building was about to be opened,” said Dave Tamulonis, events and marketing manager for Erie Downtown Partnership. “It was a natural fit for us; we seek to partner with groups like EMTA that see the value in community events and activation of space in downtown as a tool for economic vibrancy.”

Morrison said that the success of the inaugural event in 2022 led to it becoming an annual celebration.

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What to expect at the 14th Festival

The 14th Festival will include a variety of attractions including food trucks, local breweries with Erie Ale Works and Lavery Brewing, and activities for children.

The food trucks involved include:

• Happy Campers Snack Shack

• Que Abide

• Kona Ice

• Vintage Wood Fire

There will be live music from the ACDC tribute band Hellz Bellz and the Theory of Evolution.

To celebrate Flag Day on June 14, there will be a Flag Day recognition by Northwest Collegiate Academy JROTC.

There will be no special transportation from the EMTA to the event. However, the EMTA will be running their regular fixed routes.

It also is a bring-your-own chair event for seating.

During the festival, 14th Street will be blocked off by an EMTA bus that day, so plan your commute accordingly. The bus will be open to the public to view inside EMTA’s new buses.

Mark your calendar: Find out when and where Erie-area festivals will be held in 2024

Learn more about the 14th Festival by going to ride-the-e.com or checking out EMTA’s Facebook page.

Contact Nicholas Sorensen at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: 14th Fest in Erie: Celebrate with live bands, food on June 14