Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Toonerville Music Festival. The Pelham Examiner publishes press releases in the form received as a service to the community.

Pelham, NY (March 18, 2022) – Named for the famous Toonerville Trolley that carried residents of this small commuter town up and down it’s main street to the Metro North Train into Manhattan, the second annual Toonerville Music Festival will give the community a new reason to head into “downtown Pelham” with neighbors.  On September 17th, the large municipal Lot#7 behind popular Rockwell’s Restaurant and other Wolf’s Lane retail will be transformed into an outdoor amphitheater and host top national acts as well as the best regional and local rock, blues, R&B and folk groups.

The day-long music festival will run from 12pm – 10pm with music across two stages.  The festival is headlined by Grammy Award winning rock band Living Colour, who’s 1990 single “Cult of Personality” won 4 Grammy awards.  The band also won a Grammy award in 1991 for Best Hard Rock Performance for their song “Time’s up”.

Also, on the Main Stage is indie-rock artist Strand of Oaks led by Timothy Showalter, a Philadelphia native whose latest release “In Heaven” is receiving alt-rock airplay throughout the country and who has been touring extensively promoting the record.  Australia’s Eliza & the Delusionals will also be on the main stage.  The young band has been building an international following thanks to their super-hooky first single “Just Exist” and will be releasing their first EP this Spring.   Local favorites Warren Banholzer, The Stellar Wolfs and Saccharine will also be performing.

The festival is being produced by the Pelham Civics Association.  A not-for-profit organization who’s 150+ member/volunteers support various programs for seniors, youths, disabled and the needy and who’s mission includes encouraging community spirit and pride.  Jason Jeffries, a Civics member and head of the festival organizing committee states the goal of the festival is “To bring the Pelham community together, to establish Pelham as a community that celebrates the arts, and to raise money to help neighbors in the Pelham community in need.”

There will be multiple concession areas including beer and wine service as well as Food Trucks and a BBQ hosted by Rockwell’s American Restaurant where festival attendees can find a variety of food options.

Pelham’s Toonerville Music Festival is offering cost friendly pricing including discounts for youths and seniors as well as early bird pricing.   Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased via the event website at www.toonerville.org where you can also find additional information about the event and the musical performances.

The “Toonerville” festival is named after the famous “Toonerville Folks” comic strip which Fontaine Fox created after visiting Pelham and seeing the local Pelham Trolley and its colorful trolley master.  The comic strip ran in hundreds of papers from 1908 to 1955.  The trolley,  which  ran from Pelham Manor through downtown Pelham made its final run on July 31st, 1937 but has been revived one day a year for the Toonerville Music Festival to run a continuous circuit around Pelham to ferry festival goers to and from the festival entrance.