Hot Summer Nights Concert Series

10/10/2025

Before it gets really cold and Hot Summer Nights music is a distant memory, let's take a listen to 2 talented student performers who made their debut this summer!

08/12/2025

Technically, the last Hot Summer Nights concert is LanternFest. South Berwick resident, Brian Stankovich, is our musical guest at LanternFest this year. He will be on the stage from 6:30-8:00pm. Come on down to join in the fun. Get your free tickets here-

Celebrating Community!

08/12/2025

Our last Hot Summer Nights concert has wrapped. Many thanks to our openers, BA students, Kieran McKinnon and Hollis Cannella Matthews, and BA Alumna, Avalon Forrest. Headliner Kogen Serrano and his band (Ethan Martin and Chance Brown) played us out! See you next year at Shoetown Park!

08/06/2025

It's getting darker, earlier. A reminder that the Hot Summer Nights concert tonight at Shoetown Park, starts at 6:15. See you there!

08/04/2025

Hard to believe but this week's Hot Summer Nights concert on 8/6 will be the last show of the series! Due to it getting darker in the evenings, we'll be starting a little earlier at 6:15. You can buy dinner from the South Berwick VFW, who will be at Shoetown Park manning the grill!

Our headliner is Kogen Serrano and his band. Kogen, a piano player and singer who graduated from Marshwood High in 2018, has played at a variety of venues in the Seacoast, including opening at the Hot Summer Nights series. He is just a “brilliant writer and interpreter of classic songs".

Our openers are Kieran McKinnon and Hollis Cannella Matthews, juniors at Berwick Academy, who have been performing regularly at school and local open mics. Their distinctive sound features Kieran’s versatile guitar work and Hollis’s expressive vocal delivery. Avalon Forrest, a former Seacoast resident and Berwick Academy student living in Pennsylvania, also will perform as she will be in Maine finishing tracks for her first album.

07/29/2025

Catch tomorrow night's Hot Summer Nights concert at 6:30 at Shoetown Park in South Berwick, behind the fire station. In case of rain the concert moves indoors at the Community Center.

Headliner - Old Hat String Band, based out of Southern Maine, fuses tight vocal harmonies with a driving acoustic rhythm section offering music that draws from folk, old time, bluegrass, and country traditions. The band is comprised of Whitney Roy on guitar and vocals, Steve Roy on mandolin, fiddle and vocals and Amanda Kowalski on bass. The band’s debut album, released in 2022, features 10 original compositions by Steve and Whitney Roy of Eliot. Old Hat has performed at Prescott Park Arts Festival, Ossipee Valley Music Festival, Portsmouth Music Hall, Stone Mountain Arts Center and Wind Gap Bluegrass Festival, among other venues.

Opener - The Lion Sisters, who grew up on a farm in rural New England surrounded by music. With Josi singing and playing fiddle and Lily on guitar, they have performed at nearby farmers markets, events and local venues, including Book and Bar and The Stone Church. Their debut EP is streaming now and features six original songs.

07/24/2025

Last night was a lovely summer night, full of good music and community! Check out the sounds of Connor Garvey accompanied by Ben Cosgrove on piano. Two homegrown talents mentored by our very own Chip Harding. What a treasure Chip is to our music scene. He's also doing the sound for this year's series. Thank you Chip!

07/21/2025

How easy is this? Dinner and a show! Purchase dinner from the South Berwick VFW. This week's menu: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Italian Sausages.

07/20/2025

Shoetown Park in South Berwick is the place to be this coming Wednesday, 7/23 at 6:30. You are in for a special treat! A hometown musician now living in Portland, Garvey released his eighth album two years ago. With a friendly presence and lyrical depth as a story teller, Garvey leaves audiences uplifted and inspired, proving you can be optimistic and self-aware without being boring. Ben Cosgrove will join Connor on piano.

The opener, Shiva Kovvuri, a Berwick Academy graduate, received a bachelor’s in professional music from Berklee College of Music with concentrations in contemporary writing, production and jazz composition.

Great music in a great location and always, free popcicles!

07/20/2025

Thanks again to PBJ& E for being sponsors of Hot Summer Nights and playing their music at no charge for our series this year. They sounded amazing! Also had a special moment where Joe Long, his son, Patrick Long, and Patrick's son, Connor Long all played together for the first time on stage! Let's hear it for these community-minded families, The Martins and The Longs!

07/16/2025

There's lots of shade at Shoetown Park for the concert tonight. Our thanks to PBJ& E for their sponsorship of Hot Summer Nights. They are playing for free tonight to bring some great music your way. Thank you PBJ & E for being so incredibly community-minded!!

07/14/2025

Join us this Wednesday, 7/16 at Shoetown Park, behind the Community Center/Fire Department, for PBJ & E! - South Berwick’s own! They cover “bands you've never heard of” and bill themselves as primarily a vocal band with three-part harmonies supported by “decent guitar and dreadful conga playing.”

Opener, Ethan Martin of South Berwick, a graduate of Marshwood High and Worcester Polytech, plays piano and guitar to support his vocal skills. Martin also has joined as an official member of PB & J (and E!). Show kicks off at 6:30.

Buy dinner from the VFW grill or bring a picnic. And always, FREE popcicles!