Storey Square Summer Lunch Series brings jazz and rock to Uniontown
When Leigh Ann Sperry stepped into her new job as executive director of the Uniontown Downtown Business District Authority in March, she hit the ground running. Her first day on the job, Sperry realized she faced a daunting task. She immediately began planning for the Storey Square Summer Lunch Series because the kick-off date of Friday, June 14, was quickly approaching.
Sperry knew she only had three and a half months to plan an entertainment and restaurant lineup that would continue in the city every Friday through Aug. 30, offering music lovers a variety of styles ranging from jazz to rock.
“The first day that I started my new job with the DBDA, I knew that I had to get busy with the summer lunch series,” she said. “The second day I was on the job, we had a meeting to begin planning for the event. If we wanted to attract quality regional entertainment for the series, we had to book the performers early or there was no guarantee that those performers would be available.”
And months later, Sperry is reaping the benefits of the advance planning. She has seen as many as 100 people crowd into Storey Square, which is located between the State Theatre and the Murphy building on Main Street in Uniontown, each Friday. Participants can listen to a variety of free musical entertainment in a lovely outdoor setting while they dine on a lunch provided by a local restaurant. The lunch and beverage is available each week for less than $10 per person.
“I know that the Storey Square Summer Lunch Series has been absolutely fantastic this year,” Sperry said. “The caterers have been extremely pleased, and the patrons have been just thrilled with the entertainment and the restaurant selection this year. There are a lot of people, who just really appreciate something like this in Uniontown.”
When she began planning for the event, Sperry said she reviewed a list of entertainers that participated in last year’s series. She immediately began contacting those entertainers to find out if they were available this year.
“We were a little bit disappointed because some of the popular entertainers that we had last year like the steel drum band weren’t available this year,” she said. “But we managed to put together a nice schedule that offers a variety of musical entertainment.”
The entertainment lineup features almost every style of music from big band and barbershop quartet to jazz, folk, pop and rock, according to Sperry.
“We have different entertainers and music styles that we offer each week,” she said. “We try to offer something for everyone. The people who come down to Storey Square every week don’t want to hear the same type of music. We try to offer some of the crowd favorites, but all of the entertainers seem to be a good draw. There are so many local people who perform that are really talented. We really don’t have a problem finding good-quality regional entertainers we can book.”
World-renowned jazz performer Harold Betters of Connellsville is expected to draw a large crowd to the series on Aug. 2, but Sperry said that almost every scheduled performer draws a good crowd. The Mickey Sharp Trio, a local jazz ensemble, is also very popular with audiences.
Sperry said this year’s series kicked off on Friday, June 14, when Dave Salera performed “A Tribute to Frank Sinatra.” Salera drew such a large crowd that Caileigh’s restaurant almost ran out of food during lunch.
“The chef was forced to go back to the restaurant to get more food because the crowd was so large that day,” Sperry said. “Dave Salera is so talented that he sounded just like Frank Sinatra, and the crowd loved him. There are really no weak links in the entertainment schedule. You can’t really say that one entertainer is going to really knock the other ones out because that doesn’t really happen. It’s a great opportunity for the public to see any one of these regional entertainers. But I really can’t predict which one is going to draw the largest crowd.”
Sperry said the Friday events, which begin at 11:30 a.m. and continue until 1:30 p.m., attract business people as well as the general public.
“We have certain people who come every week because they just love it, and they are very pleased that it is continuing this year,” she said. “Some of the people will stay for the entire two-hour show. It makes you feel good when you put so much planning and effort into something that people do enjoy. It’s a nice mix of people. We get just as many people who are working downtown those who drive from all over the county to attend the event. You see individuals, couples, and groups of people and even families with children. There are a lot of families who come down for the event, and the kids just seem to love it.”
Local businesses sponsor the events, and donations are accepted from the people who attend, Sperry said. Little wooden cutouts of buildings with historic significance like the State Theatre Center for the Arts and the Searights Tollhouse are sold for $19.95 plus tax to help raise money for the events.
“We try to match up the musical acts with the budget that we have available,” she said. “We always encourage the local businesses to sponsor the events. The residents and the business people really appreciate having these events. The turnout has been unbelievable this year. We don’t make money on the event. If there is any profit at all, it just goes back into the pot to keep the series going next year. Donations and sponsorships are greatly appreciated because that is what makes these events possible every year.”
Sperry said even inclement weather doesn’t seem to affect the crowds. If it rains, she said the events are moved into the State Theatre Lobby.
“The people still come out if it rains. It doesn’t seem to affect our attendance at all,” she said. “But everyone likes to sit outside on a nice warm sunny day and enjoy the outstanding entertainment and wonderful lunch. It’s just a positive experience for everyone, and something that people look forward to attending every summer.”