Dust off your dance shoes, bring your lawn chair and picnic, and join the Springfield Armory and National Park Service for the annual Big Band concert on Saturday, July 13 from 6:00pm -8:00pm. Heritage Pops Orchestra will perform outside on the picturesque historic grounds of Springfield Armory National Historic Site. Admission is free. In case of rain, the concert will move into the auditorium in Building 2 (Scibelli Hall) of Springfield Technical Community College, which is next to the grounds.
This year’s concert will feature Heritage Pops Orchestra, a 17-piece Big Band that takes pride in playing a wide variety of big band style music. From the sounds of Glen Miller, Harry James, and Lawrence Welk to the music of many ethnic origins, with a touch of light classical music, many of your favorite big band classics will be played.
This concert commemorates the Benny Goodman Big Band Orchestra performance at Springfield Armory on September 29, 1943. During that live concert broadcast, Armory personnel were recognized and saluted for their indispensable manufacturing accomplishments. This also pays honor to the designation in 2023 of Springfield as the American World War II Heritage City for Massachusetts.
The final summer concert in the Springfield Armory NHS Summer Concert Series will be on Sunday, August 11 at 1:00pm featuring the Pioneer Valley Concert Band.
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ABOUT THE PARK: Springfield Armory National Historic Site is the location of the nation’s first armory (1794 – 1968) and was established by George Washington. The site includes historic grounds, buildings, and the world’s largest historic American military firearms collection. For updates and further information call (413) 734-8551, check the website at www.nps.gov/spar or go to www.facebook.com/sparnhs.
