Party on: CelebrateErie is back. Here's your guide to what's happening

Let the celebration begin.

CelebrateErie, the city’s annual showcase of music, food, art and culture, returns to the city’s downtown starting Friday.

The three-day festival, which concludes on Sunday, typically draws more than 200,000 over the three days.

All festivities are free and take place within a downtown footprint centered around Perry Square and State Street, between Fourth and Ninth streets.

Rock on: National, regional acts performing at CelebrateErie 2024

At an Aug. 1 news conference, Erie Mayor Joe Schember called CelebrateErie the city’s signature event, designed to bring citizens and visitors together.

“CelebrateErie truly celebrates our talented local people, who make Erie such a wonderful place," Schember said.

Here are important things to know about CelebrateErie if you plan to attend:

Food, vendors, art and more

CelebrateErie’s Food District will be located in West Perry Square, featuring pizza, sandwiches, empanadas, ice cream, brisket and a variety of other samplings from local restaurants and food trucks. There's also a beer garden.

In addition, check out the Erie Insurance Marketplace, between Eighth Street and South Park Row, where local vendors, artists and businesses will showcase many different products.

There will also be various retail/business setups and an interactive business showcase set up within the CelebrateErie footprint.

Chalk walk (of course)

The festival's popular Chalk Walk will feature vibrant chalk murals, created within a one-block area along State Street between Eighth and Ninth streets.

Adrienne Nannen, the city’s events manager, said there will be 27 chalk murals this year.

Let the music play

CelebrateErie’s mainstage lineup includes:

• Friday night: The Breeze Band and Ivan Montero followed by headliner One World Tribe.
• Saturday night: Matty B & the Dirty Pickles , Wheatus and then headliner Jimmy Eat World.
• Sunday night: Brooke Surgener , Smilo & the Ghost and headliner Gabby Barrett .

More to know: CelebrateErie headliner Jimmy Eat World brings decades of power pop to mainstage Saturday

Montero, a 55-year-old Erie native, now lives in Florida and is a well-known salsa singer percussionist and disc jockey. Montero will perform Friday at 6:30 p.m.

It will be Montero’s first live performance in Erie since he left the city in 1987.

“This is really exciting for me,” Montero, a 1987 graduate of Tech Memorial High School who still has friends and family in Erie, told the Erie Times-News in a telephone interview. “The main stage is set up three blocks from where I was born, at (UPMC Hamot). “It’s humbling that they would trust me to perform for an hour and bring my music back to Erie.  It’s just out of this world and unbelievable.”

In addition, a number of other local and regional music acts of all genres will perform within the festival area at CelebrateErie's three "District Stages," and there will be interactive drum circles that encourage guest participation.

Kids play rock covers: YouTube rockers Attention Switch are 4 grade-school kids. See them live at CelebrateErie

Parking, what not to bring

There are a number of public parking locations within walking distance of the event, since a number of streets in the festival footprint will be closed to vehicle traffic and the on-street/kiosk parking in those areas will be unavailable:

• The Peach Street parking garage, 712 Peach St.
• The Erie Parking Authority Garage B, 24 E. Eighth St.
• The East 10th Street parking garage at 25 E. 10th St.
• The West Ninth Street parking garage at 120 W Ninth St.

Handicapped-accessible parking is also available on the north side of West Seventh Street between State and Peach streets and also on the first floor of the Peach Street parking garage. Further, parking will be available on various side streets adjacent to the event.

Due to expected large crowds, city officials advise against bringing dogs or other pets unless the pet is a certified service animal. Main stage concerts are standing-room only, so people should not bring chairs. Bicycles, hoverboards, and skateboards are also not permitted in the main festival areas.

For more information about the festival, including times and locations for specific performances/events, visit celebrateerie.com or facebook.com/CelebrateErie.

Contact Kevin Flowers at kflowers@timesnews.com . Follow him on Twitter at @ETNflowers .

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Party on: CelebrateErie is back. Here's your guide to what's happening