Final Friday starts this month

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The region’s premier outdoor concert series, Final Friday in Boneyfiddle, managed by The Boneyfiddle Project, is ready to open a ninth season of free concerts to the community this month with the kickstart being Music and Motion, a weekend of fun events for the whole family.

“We billed these as two separate events, but it makes for an awesome weekend,” co-organizer Rob Black said. “We’re going to have our regular Final Friday on the 26th with three and a half hours of music there. Then, starting at 11 a.m. the next day, we’re going to have another six hours of music for the Music and Motion event. So, we’re going to have about 9 plus hours of live music on the stage between those two events. We really do have two different events with both days. One is just about listening to music and fellowship and community. The other is engaging people to get active and kicking off the summer with a ton of events you can regularly find in the area.”

The events will start with the traditional May Final Friday in Boneyfiddle concert featuring the talents of Hot Rod Deville, Courtney Jo Band, and Bad Habits. The concerts will take place between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m.

“The Boneyfiddle Project is sponsoring this high energy concert and will have food, refreshments and Final Friday merchandise for sale. We recommend bringing a chair. Small coolers are permitted. We are in the DORA zone,” the website explained. “Please remember this is a family friendly event so we expect consumers to be discreet.”

Black is excited for the lineup, saying it will be a great kickoff to the summer festivities.

“I think the lineup is a high energy lineup. I’ve booked three high energy bands finishing with Bad Habits. Courtney Jo band comes on second, around 6:30 p.m. and they are high energy, as well as Hot Rod Deville,” Black said. “I wanted to get everyone pumped up for the weekend and carry that on the next day.”

Black says the concert will be slightly different, with the activities of Saturday also taking place.

“We will have a big top tent setup, as well as some other things you won’t typically get with the standard Final Friday. It won’t hurt anything, though,” Black added. “As a matter of fact, we’ll even have a dance floor out that people can use and dance to the music. We’ll also have our vendors there; it’ll be cool.”

Saturday will feature live music all day featuring Abbie Emmons, Landon McGraw, Town Folk, Jason Burton, and Social Intents. The music will be performed from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This event is a symbiotic event featuring activities on and off site all day long.

Activities include healthy cooking demonstrations at 1 and 4 p.m. by Patter Fam Sauces; a 5k run/walk coordinated by Bar Benders Gym and Supplements at 11 a.m., with proceeds benefiting veterans with PTSD; a Music and Motion bicycle ride organized by Connex, with the ride starting and finishing at the Final Friday site; six wellness sessions involving various disciplines of yoga, stretching, and more; 50-minute sessions will begin at 11 a.m. and continue on the hour all day; nature events will be held by Shawnee State Forest; an “artist’s alley” will be held by local artists Dee and Donna Russell with this onsite event that will feature various artists demonstrating their process and selling their art; the mobile axe throwing unit will be open between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., thanks to Southern Ohio Axe Throwing; the mobile library unit will be onsite; and food and refreshments will be available in the form of food trucks and Chef Will Robinson. They will also feature miniature frisbee golf for beginners.

“As a committee, we won’t be doing nearly as much, but we’ll be directing what’s going on,” Black said. “It all dovetails together. It is kind of like organized chaos. Over here, you have kids on giant inflatables, over there you have yoga, there are bicyclists and skateboarders on their way to the park; it is a great offering of activities for people to engage in while music is going on. There are a lot of moving parts, but that is what makes it cool.”

These concerts, and many of the Music and Motion events, take place at Three Bridges, the Second Street Final Friday venue just outside of the floodwall.

The following Final Friday will be Ladies Night on June 30, with similar hours as Friday’s concert.

“The season is booked and is going to be great with local, regional, and national acts,” Black said. “Not only do we have season nine booked, but we’re preparing for season 10, which will be a big deal, thanks to area business, Southern Ohio Medical Center, Glockner Family of Dealerships, and the Scioto County Commissioners. We’re going to be bringing a lot of people out to enjoy live music this year and next.”

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2022 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved

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