SAC executive director Krissy Brown said visitors to the Veterans Park Amphitheater can expect what has made the event a must destination and what will guide it into the future.
“I’m big on traditions and we’ll continue to celebrate this tradition,” Brown said. “This is a part of Springfield’s cultural identity and for some people maybe their only insight into the performing arts.
“But we want to make sure to shift and update with our changing audience. We are catering to all audiences.”
That means festival attendees can expect acts from oldies cover band Phil Dirt and the Dozers and the tradition of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra to a tribute to modern superstars like Taylor Swift, along with family shows and a variety of genres.
Celebrations will begin with a special 60th anniversary event to kick off the season at 6:30 p.m. May 29 at the Clark State Performing Arts Center’s Turner Studio Theatre with a special recognition of longtime SAC performer and director and retired executive director Tim Rowe.
A recurring theme reflecting the anniversary year will be acts dedicated to the festival’s various decades. These will include The Dreamboats, doing the hits of the 1960s; Stevie Wonder tribute Wonderlove as the 1970s representative; Queen tribute Bohemian Queen for the 1980s; Larger Than Life, a ‘90s boy band act; and Y2K Kids, a tribute to the female singers of the early 2000s.
These shows will be complemented by special merchandise, trivia, a boy band dance contest and other tie-ins. The SAC is partnering with the Heritage Center of Clark County for displays of what was going on in Springfield during these decades at each event.
Marking an even bigger anniversary – the 250th of the U.S. – will be the festival’s longest running consecutive act and featured in all 60 seasons, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. It will play a patriotic concert with songs reflecting national pride on July 3, with the audience able to watch fireworks after the show in their own seats in the park.
The series will begin with the Broadway in the Park production of “Tarzan” with area performers to get the things off to a flying start in several ways. It hasn’t been performed in the area and will include special flying effects.
“Disney titles are always popular, and it hasn’t been performed in the area yet,” said Brown.
The SAC is partnering with other Springfield arts organizations and groups. Festival mainstay KidsFest will return to the Springfield Museum of Art with a performance by the Youth Arts Ambassadors.
Some of the top local dancers will combine for the third time when the Gary Geis Dance Company and Ohio Performing Arts Institute team for a seasonal theme, “Dancing Through Time.” Springfield Civic Theatre will perform Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.”
Brown is hopeful maybe people attending one of these groups’ shows will encourage them to go to further performances
The first Celebrate Springfield event in 2025 featuring a day of local bands drew an enthusiastic crowd from not just attendees. More than 100 bands submitted applications to perform in 2026 and five will play in a special concert with an earlier starting time.
One of the city’s popular longtime events, CultureFest, hasn’t been presented since 2023, but the Arts Festival will revive it in spirit with Passport to the World. Brown said the SAC was glad to help bring it back on a with a variety of performances defining the community’s diversity.
Tribute acts are an ongoing festival tradition and will include the return of Eagles band Hotel California, and newcomers Ozzy Osborne act Crazy Train and CeCe Teneal’s Divas of Soul.
Original acts will include Imagineers, a husband and wife duo whose music was heard in a recent Hallmark movie; Chris Davis Band, doing bluegrass; and Jeki Yoo, a magician who performed on “America’s Got Talent.”
As the festival is looking back on 60 years and forward to many more, Brown found the final two shows to represent the history and modern. Are You Ready for It: Tribute to Taylor Swift was the 2025 festival’s biggest attended night, while Phil Dirt and the Dozers have been playing nearly every year here for more than 40 years and have been the finale act in several past seasons.
“We were looking for ways to diversify and expose Springfield to the widest variety of performances possible,” she said.
Show times and special event information will be announced at a later date. For more information and updates, go to www.springfieldartscouncil.org/.
Summer Arts Festival 2026 Lineup
Week 1
June 11 – Broadway in the Park: “Tarzan”
June 12 – Broadway in the Park: “Tarzan”
June 13 – Broadway in the Park: “Tarzan”
June 14 - KidsFest (at the Springfield Museum of Art)
Week 2
June 17 - The Imaginaries
June 18 - The Dreamboats, ‘60s Night
June 19 – CeCe Teneal’s Divas of Soul
June 20 - Y2K Kids, Early 2000s Night
June 21 - Passport to the World
Week 3
June 24 - Chris Davis Band
June 25 - Crazy Train, Ozzy Osborne tribute
June 26 - Larger Than Life, ‘90s Night
June 27 - Hotel California Eagles tribute
June 28 - Celebrate Springfield
Week 4
July 1 - Gary Geis/Ohio Performing Arts Institute dance concert
July 2 - Jeki Yoo, magician
July 3 - Springfield Symphony Orchestra, America’s 250th Celebration
Week 5
July 7 – “Twelfth Night,” Springfield Civic Theatre
July 8 - Wonderlove: The Stevie Wonder Experience, ‘70s Night
July 9 - Bohemian Queen, ‘80s Night
July 10 - Are You Ready for It: Tribute to Taylor Swift
July 11 - Phil Dirt and the Dozers
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