Eleven of the region’s top bands are set to take the outdoor stage in Springfield Township’s Homecoming Park, 7807 Angola Road, on Saturday, September 20, when the sixth annual 419 MusicFest wraps-up the community’s four month, funfilled “Summer Series 2025.” The bands have all donated their talents to ensure that no admission or parking fees will be charged to attendees, and proceeds can be used to benefit firefighter mental health and scholarship initiatives.
According to Trustee Chair Rachel Geiger, “Just look at the number and quality of sponsors who didn’t hesitate to join us. Although our Freedom Celebration has been wildly popular for 20 years, it was a stand-alone effort until last year. The response to the 20-plus events we coordinated last year for the ‘Total Eclipse of the Sun’ was unbelievable. We found out that our residents, business leaders and even many strangers were asking, ‘What’s Next, Springfield Township?’” What happened next was an expansion of the Freedom Celebration to include a full day of opportunities that included a 5K Run/Walk (the Firecracker 5K honoring the memory of Butch Rahe), the HEROhustle, the Village Market and another record crowd for the annual fireworks display. The township leaders partnered with the Village of Holland to expand on their “Picture in the Park” in July and participation and attendance at the sixth annual Wicked Wheels Car Fest exceeded goals (final estimates were 550 vehicles and 2,500 total visitors) for a Wednesday evening in August.
Mrs. Geiger continues, “We knew that we needed to create an exclamation point to close out the series, so when founder Todd Boatfield approached us, we agreed to take over the management of the existing 419MusicFest. Todd has done a great job and we’re lucky he’s stayed involved. Of course, we’ve added a few new elements to entertain the audience while engaging with many of our almost 70 sponsors. I don’t think anyone whom we approached to sponsor the event said, ‘No.’ That says a lot right there. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs, blankets—even a small pop-up tent if they want—and spend the day in the park listening to fantastic local artists.”
Mrs. Geiger concluded, “So, we’re inviting everyone to join us—for an hour or two, or for the entire event. We’ll have food trucks if you’re hungry. We’ll have adult beverages and familyfriendly concessions. Vendors will have swag and games to enjoy, and best of all—attendees will be invited to ‘party with a purpose’ by using QRCodes to support the firefighters.” For more information, go to springfieldtownship.net or the 419MusicFest’s event page on Facebook.
