Lima Music Festival to make debut

LIMA — Brandon Monford, also known as Sax B, said the Lima Music Festival will be special if only because all of the performers have ties to Lima.

The festival will start at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 and will feature Lima Poet Laureate Courtney Owens hosting artists like Voices of Harmony, Keyarrah Ferrentey, Landis Thompson, Brandi “Latrell” Monford, Will Guice, Sarah Henderson and Sonny Campbell and The 100 Round Drums on the Pangle Pavilion stage.

“The Lima Music Festival is just a great expanse of live music from different genres with merch vendors and food trucks,” Monford said. “It’ll just be a great day and we’re calling it the inaugural because it’s the start of an annual event. It’s just a time to come together and enjoy yourselves with the family, a blanket, lawn chairs and all of that to become one with the community through music.”

The genres will range from jazz to gospel, pop, R&B and hip-hop.

“There will be good music to keep people on their toes ready to dance all night,” Monford, who is a member of Sax in the City, said. “Sonny Campbell is a phenomenal hip-hop artist born and raised in Lima. The uniqueness of this is that each act has some ties to Lima and if they don’t live here, they were all born and raised here.”

For Monford, who is also serving as the communications specialist for the event, it will be a dream to see the festival come to life after so much planning that saw multiple organizations and individuals bring the pieces together.

“I think it would essentially display my dream of what a community looks like with different acts, genres, people and patrons coming under one umbrella to be festive,” he said. “A lot of negativity is happening in the world and in our city, but to get that positive outlook would just bring my idea to life.”

For it to be in the heart of downtown is also a big deal.

“It means something because we’re from here and they’re revamping downtown,” Monford said. “They have Spring and Main, FreshnFaded and all of these things that make downtown lively again so why not take a chance at being part of it?”

As long as the audience comes away feeling love and having a good time, that is all that matters.

“That final piece to bring it all together is the community coming out to enter the space,” Monford said. “We all love music and each of these talented acts are a part of this, along with the vendors and booths out there. Now they’re all together so come on out and enjoy this.”

For tickets, visit bit.ly/3yBL45t.

For more information on the festival, visit bit.ly/4djOYiv.

The Greater Lima Region Park and Amphitheater sits at 128 E. Spring St. in Lima.

Tickets are on sale for $25 at the gate and $20 pre-sale.

Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.