The West Haven Community House (WHCH) announces its annual Rock & Stroll to be held on Saturday, Sept. 21. Rock & Stroll is an all-day event starting with a two-mile stroll along the historic Savin Rock Boardwalk followed by a music festival featuring a variety of local bands, arts and crafts vendors and fun activities for kids.
Food will be available for purchase. Walk registration is at 9:30 a.m. with a 10:30 event kick-off. There is a $25 fee to participate in the walk, which features a variety of fun activities along the route where participants receive free chances to be entered in a raffle.
“This walk is unique in that there are a variety of fun activity stations along the route including corn hole, limbo, hopscotch, bowling and more”, said Patty Stevens, Community House executive director. “At the end of the walk, each participant turns in their earned raffle tickets for a chance to win some great prizes, which include a toys, games, concert tickets, gift cards, and more.”
The walk is followed by a music festival in collaboration with organizers John McCarthy of Rock House School of Music & Johnny Ziada of Z’s Corner Cafe.
“We are excited to add music to our established fall fundraising event in order to showcase and promote Teach Kids Music (TKM) programs that have been intertwined with the Community House’s programs for preschoolers and school age children,” Stevens said.
The Community House hosts monthly TKM Youth Open Mic Nights where young musicians and singers, 19 and under, play and listen to music and get the opportunity to interact with other musicians. The open mic nights play an important role in helping children express themselves in a safe, creative atmosphere. In addition to performing, many local children come to watch and get inspired creating a positive community experience.
Parents are always welcome to come and get involved.
“As the owner of Rock House School of Music and founder of TeachKidsMusic.org (TKM), my main mission is to help children learn music. By providing instruments and instruction, we are able to guide these kids to be creative and start a lifelong music journey,” said John McCarthy, founder of Rock House School of Music and the TKM. “Working with the West Haven Community House has been a pleasure. They are forward-thinking when it comes to providing music instruction to young children. The Rock House Ukulele course and Clap, Tap and Sing program is used as part of their program.”
The music festival, which is free and open to the public, begins at noon on the lawn of the conference center and ends at 5 People are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs and sit back and enjoy the music featuring local bands playing on the Savin Rock bandstand. In between the bands there will be children’s performances on stage.
Music Festival LineUp:
The Navels: CT’s premier Rock Band covering songs from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
Tears Fall Down: 2017 and 2018 Winner of CTNOW Best of CT Punk/Alternative band.
Fiction: An original local blues rock band just back from summer tour.
Shot Down: A high energy country music band.
McCarthy Zipay Band: Featuring John McCarthy, owner of Rock House School of Music and virtuoso guitarist and Carla Zipay, local vocalist. Together they will blend a unique style of rock, metal, funk and blues.
CT All Stars: An “All Star” Lineup of talented musicians coming together to rock the Savin Rock stage including:
Carmine Appice: Former drummer for Vanilla Fudge who set the grooves for the groundbreaking band’s psychedelic debut, influencing and inspiring a generation of Rock and Heavy Metal drummers.
Paul Nelson: Grammy Award winning blues/rock guitarist for Johnny Winter.
Rob Liptrot: A bass guitarist from ‘The Brotherhood Funk Band’.
Kevin Lawless: Lead vocalist for Ozzy Osbourne tribute band, Ozzy America, and local CT band ‘Liplok’.
Rich Weber: Former drummer of ‘Mean Carlene’ and West Haven’s Carrigan School principal.
Jordan Giangreco: Keyboardist for ‘Psychedelic Breakfast’
John McCarthy: The Rock House School of Music
Chuck Peterson: Drummer with Sandoval Band and Eliot Lewis from Hall and Oates. Damiano Christian: Guitarist who played on ABC’s American Idol tv show.
All proceeds from the event will benefit West Haven Community House and its programs including Head Start pre-school, Community Connections’ day and residential programs for adults with intellectual disabilities, and Children & Youth before and after school child care programs located in the West Haven public schools and the TKM programs.
For more information about the event, sponsorship opportunities and/or to register, please visit www.whcommunityhouse.org or contact Kathy Hart-Jones at (203) 934-5221 x 131 or via email: kathyhartjones@whcommunityhouse.org.