Music, food trucks, and fireworks: Everything you need to know about Rochester's 4th Fest
The city’s biggest Independence Day celebration will be held Monday evening at Soldiers Field Park, featuring a diverse musical lineup, food trucks, and the main attraction — fireworks.
The 4th Fest celebration, hosted by the City of Rochester, begins at 4 p.m. with a set from DJ LaidEe P, followed by performances by the New Mexican string band Lone Piñon, the Rochester Community Band, and Rochester Poet Laureate Susan McMillan. The final act ahead of the fireworks will feature A Salute to the Music of PRINCE! LIVE! with Chase & Ovation.
All are welcomed and encouraged to attend this annual free community event. Because Soldiers Field is an open-to-the-public city park, lawn chairs, blankets, and coolers are welcome. There will also be food trucks on hand from Jersey Jo's Philly Cheesesteaks and More, The Wandering Scoop, Infuzn Foods, Taco Lab, Whiskey Dick's, and Minne’SNO’da Shave Ice.
Below is a full lineup of events at this year’s 4th Fest.
4, 5:30 & 7:30 pm: DJ LaidEe P
LaidEe P, owner of FELINE MU$IK & Ent. LLC, is a female entrepreneur and an entertainment influencer. As a Rochester native (granddaughter of John Hardy), she has made it her mission to bring back the musical arts scene to the community, by performing and working along-side other local artists. Her way of existing is, by her brand’s motto, “creating energy that’s empowering to your soul!” in every business aspect she provides. With her name actually being an acronym, it’s all proven up by just that: “Living As I Desire, Entertaining Everyone Positively.”
4:30 pm: Lone Piñon (Global Music Series)
Lone Piñon is a New Mexican string band, or “orquesta típica”, whose music celebrates the integrity and diversity of their region's cultural roots. With fiddles, upright bass, guitars, accordions, vihuela, and bilingual vocals, they play a wide spectrum of the traditional music that is at home in New Mexico. The Norte has long been a crossroads of cultures, and centuries of intersecting histories, trade routes, migrations, and cultural movements have endowed the region with an expansive and rich musical heritage that weaves together Spanish, Mexican, Indigenous, European immigrant, Anglo-American, and Afro-American musical influences.
6:15 pm: Rochester Community Band
Patriotic classics and concert band favorites from this 60-member concert band whose membership ranges from teenagers to musicians in their 80s. Under the direction of Anthony Boldt, the Rochester Community Band’s mission is to provide an opportunity for life-long musical expression and enjoyment by providing quality and challenging musical experiences for its members, while educating, and entertaining family.
8 pm: Poet Laureate Susan McMillan
Susan McMillan is a lifelong poet who has lived, worked, and volunteered in the Rochester area for more than 40 years. She was appointed Rochester’s second Poet Laureate by Mayor Kim Norton in April, 2019. Susan finds inspiration in the people around her as well as in the natural world. Susan’s poetry has been widely published in local and regional publications, including Oakwood literary journal, The Talking Stick, The Moccasin, Green Blade, and Rochester Post Bulletin. Her poem, “Wicked Child”, was included in Upon Waking: 58 Voices Speak Out From the Shadows.
8:30 pm: A Salute to the Music of PRINCE! LIVE! with Chase & Ovation
Based out of Minneapolis, A Salute to the Music of PRINCE! LIVE! with Chase & Ovation is the world's premier Prince tribute show. The only one of its kind, Chase & Ovation has been performing exclusively the music of Prince (live in concert) for the past 15 years including their decade-long monthly residency at the world famous Bunkers Music Bar in Minneapolis, and at venues all across North America. Fans of the show include even some of Prince's former bandmates and family members who give Chase & Ovation the highest marks for reproducing Prince's music “the way it is meant to be played, heard, and felt.”
10 pm: Fireworks
Given the potential for heavy vehicle and foot traffic on event day, the City of Rochester encourages attendees to plan extra time for travel to and from Soldiers Field Memorial Park all day on Monday. Parking options include:
Soldiers Field Swimming Pool Parking Lot (Soldiers Field Dr. SW)
Soldiers Field Tennis Court Parking Lot (Soldiers Field Dr. SW)
Roy Sutherland Playground Parking Area (Soldiers Field Dr. SW)
Soldiers Field Parking Lot, Across the River (Broadway Ave S)
All City and residential side streets, unless marked otherwise
