Shapiro, America250PA announce Commonwealth Concert Series
HIGHER THAN THEY WERE A YEAR AGO. WELL, PENNSYLVANIA IS GEARING UP FOR AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY, AND ONE OF THE BIG WAYS THE COMMONWEALTH PLANS TO CELEBRATE IS THROUGH THE NEW COMMONWEALTH CONCERT SERIES. THE GOVERNOR, UNVEILING THE SERIES LAST WEEK ALONGSIDE BETSY ROSS AND BEN FRANKLIN. AND WE’RE JOINED NOW BY CASSANDRA COLEMAN, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AMERICA. TWO 0.50 POUNDS A THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. YES, WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU. EVERYBODY IS EXCITED FOR THIS. SO FOR THE FOLKS WHO HAVEN’T SEEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE COMMONWEALTH CONCERT SERIES IS. SURE. SO THE COMMONWEALTH CONCERT SERIES IS TAKING THE CELEBRATIONS OF THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY TO EVERY REGION ACROSS OUR COMMONWEALTH, KICKING OFF IN STATE COLLEGE ON MAY 23RD, HEADING UP TO ERIE ON JUNE 6TH TO HERSHEYPARK STADIUM ON JUNE 13TH. WILKES-BARRE ON JUNE 20TH. PITTSBURGH ON JUNE 27TH, AND THEN OF COURSE, PHILADELPHIA ON SATURDAY, JULY 4TH. SO REALLY EXCITING. THAT’S SO COOL. SO TALK ABOUT HOW DID YOU DECIDE WHERE YOU WOULD STOP ALONG THE WAY WITH THIS TOUR? SO THE WORK FOR AMERICA IS ACTUALLY DIVIDED INTO SIX REGIONS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH. SO THE GOAL REALLY WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ANNUAL EVENT HAPPENS IN PHILADELPHIA EVERY YEAR FOR JULY 4TH. SO HOW DO WE REALLY AMP UP AND EXCITE FOLKS TO REALLY JOIN US IN PHILADELPHIA ON JULY 4TH? AND THE GOAL WAS TO TAKE THE SHOW ON THE ROAD. LISTEN, I LOVE THE SHOW GOING ON THE ROAD. WE LOVE IT TOO. THAT’S RIGHT. AND YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST TALKING TO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO CELEBRATE AND WHO WANT TO BE IN THIS. SO HOW DID YOU DECIDE WHAT ARTISTS WOULD DO IT, WHO YOU WERE REACHING OUT TO? HOW DID YOU NARROW THAT DOWN? HONESTLY, IT WAS IT WAS REALLY JUST TALKING WITH THE DIFFERENT AGENTS, PUTTING AN ASK OUT THERE TO SEE WHAT ARTISTS AND BANDS WERE INTERESTED, AND THEN REALLY JUST SEEING AVAILABILITY. I MEAN, THAT WAS THAT WAS REALLY HALF THE BATTLE WAS WHO WAS AVAILABLE WHEN AND WHO COULD BE HERE IN THE COMMONWEALTH. BUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY EXCITING BECAUSE ALL OF THE ARTISTS THAT WERE ANNOUNCED ARE JUST SO DARN EXCITED TO BE HERE AND TO CELEBRATE THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY. YEAH. WELL, LISTEN, WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT ALL OF THOSE TOURS. AND I’M A PHILLY GUY, SO I’M OF COURSE EXCITED ABOUT PHILLY, BUT I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HERSHEY BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE THE FOLKS HERE WILL BE ABLE TO GO AND EXPERIENCE THAT. I MEAN, TALK ABOUT IF PEOPLE ARE COMING OUT TO HERSHEY, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE WITH THIS CONCERT? YES. SO WE WILL HAVE AN ACTIVATION SPACE PRIOR WITH SOME OF OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR BIGGER PARTNERS THAT WILL HAVE ACTIVATIONS PRIOR TO THE CONCERT. DOORS WILL OPEN BETWEEN 5 AND 530. SHOW WILL BEGIN AT SEVEN. WE HAVE THE AVETT BROTHERS CONFIRMED FOR HERSHEY PARK STADIUM ON JUNE 13TH, AND FOLKS ACTUALLY COULD START GETTING TICKETS AS SOON AS THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 17TH AT NOON. SO AND THEY WILL BE, YOU KNOW, IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT. I THINK TOO, THAT PENNSYLVANIANS HAVE FIRST DIBS ON TICKETS FOR THE FIRST TWO WEEKS THROUGH MAY 1ST. IT WILL BE OPEN TO PENNSYLVANIANS ONLY. GOTCHA. SO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE’RE IN A TIME NOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE SELLING TICKETS OR GETTING TICKETS. WHERE ARE YOU GUYS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT? SO THERE IS NO RESALE. YOU CANNOT RESELL THE TICKETS. AND ACTUALLY IDS WILL BE CHECKED THE DOOR. SO YOU NEED TO REGISTER. AND THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOUR VIEWERS. THIS IS A FREE CONCERT. THEY ARE ALL FREE, BUT THEY ARE TICKETED. YOU CANNOT JUST SHOW UP. YOU NEED A TICKET. SO IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO GO TO AMERICA. TWO 0.50 POUNDS A.ORG BEGINNING AGAIN APRIL 17TH AT NOON. AND TO RESERVE THEIR TICKETS, IT’S GOING TO BE AN EPIC TIME. LISTEN, DON’T SHOW UP WITHOUT A TICKET BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET IN. AND THIS IS THE THING. SO HOW MANY ARE THERE LIMITS ON THE TICKETS THAT PEOPLE CAN GET? OR SO YOU CAN GET UP TO TWO ADULT TICKETS AND UP TO TWO TICKETS WITH YOUR ONE REGISTRATION, YOUR ONE EMAIL. GOTCHA. SO NOW PEOPLE COMING TO THIS, HOW IS THE FOOD THING GOING TO WORK? IS IT KIND OF A BYOB SITUATION? THERE’S GOING TO BE FOOD. WHAT IS IT? SO NO OUTDOOR, NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR BEVERAGES. THE ONCE YOU’RE IN THE PERIMETER, YOU’LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME ACTIVATION, SOME FOOD TRUCKS, ETC. AND THEN THE CONCESSIONS AT HERSHEY PARK. WHAT MAKES PENNSYLVANIA’S ROLE FOR FOLKS WHO MAY NOT KNOW THE FULL HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY, BUT TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT MAKES PENNSYLVANIA’S ROLE SO SPECIAL IN THIS. 250 CELEBRATION. AND PENNSYLVANIA IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. BUT I LIKE TO SAY, NOT ONLY WAS AMERICA BORN HERE, AMERICA WAS SAVED HERE IN GETTYSBURG. AMERICA WAS BUILT HERE WITH OUR STEEL MILLS IN PITTSBURGH, AND AMERICA WAS POWERED HERE BY OUR COAL MINES IN NORTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE PROUD OF, AND WE ARE BY FAR LEADING THE NATION. IT’S GOING TO TAKE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT, TO ENSURE THE SPOTLIGHT IS HERE. BUT PENNSYLVANIANS HAVE CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH TO THE OVERALL AMERICAN STORY, AND WE ARE EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ALL ROADS LEAD BACK TO THE COMMONWEALTH. ALWAYS DO. AND I HAVE TO SAY, JUST YOU MENTIONED THIS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BUT FOR FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED, WHERE SHOULD THEY GO TO CHECK OUT ALL THIS INFORMATION? SURE. AMERICA TO 50 PA.ORG AND THE TICKET LINK WILL OPEN ON FRIDAY, APRIL 17TH AT NOON.
Shapiro, America250PA announce Commonwealth Concert Series
Updated: 5:38 PM EDT Apr 14, 2026
Pennsylvania is gearing up for America’s 250th birthday, and one of the big ways the commonwealth plans to celebrate is through the new Commonwealth Concert Series. Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled the free, five-city concert tour last week. WGAL News 8 spoke with the executive director of America250PA, Cassandra Coleman, about the concert series. You can watch our full conversation with Coleman and get more details about the concert series in the video player above. America250PA Concert Series May 23: State College Cole Swindell with special guest Gabby Barrett June 6: Erie The Fray June 13: Hershey The Avett Brothers June 20: NEPA Lady A with special guest En Vogue June 27: Pittsburgh Nelly and Third Eye Blind
Pennsylvania is gearing up for America’s 250th birthday, and one of the big ways the commonwealth plans to celebrate is through the new Commonwealth Concert Series.
Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled the free, five-city concert tour last week.
WGAL News 8 spoke with the executive director of America250PA, Cassandra Coleman, about the concert series.
You can watch our full conversation with Coleman and get more details about the concert series in the video player above.
America250PA Concert Series
May 23: State College
Cole Swindell with special guest Gabby Barrett
June 6: Erie
June 13: Hershey
June 20: NEPA
Lady A with special guest En Vogue
June 27: Pittsburgh
Nelly and Third Eye Blind