On Saturday, the lot behind Rockwell’s will serve a new purpose as the venue for the biggest music event in Pelham’s history: the Toonerville Music Festival.

There are twelve acts ranging from local to national artists booked, with a wide variety of genres represented, from alternative rock to power pop to folk. Headliners include Fastball and The Verve Pipe, both of which have more than 700,000 active monthly listeners on Spotify and have made the top five on the Billboard charts. 

“Some of these bands have radio hits that people will recognize,” said Jason Jeffries, a member of the festival organizing committee for the Pelham Civic Association. Regarding the goals for the event, Jeffries cited three: “To bring the Pelham community back together to celebrate our resilience after 2020, to further establish Pelham as a community that celebrates the arts and is an arts destination, and to raise money for the Pelham Civic Association, which is dedicated to helping neighbors in the Pelham community.”

There will be a replica trolley at the event, mimicking the Toonerville Trolley made famous in a national comic strip. Creator Fontaine Fox said he came up with the nationally syndicated strip, “Toonerville Folks,” after he rode a trolley that ran from the train station in Pelham until 1937. The replica will travel around Pelham during the festival with no cost to attendees. 

“This concert will truly be a first for Pelham, and we’re excited to mix these national acts with regional, Pelham and even Pelham student talent for the enjoyment and benefit of the community,” said Jeffries.

Tickets are available on the Toonerville Music Festival website.