Honey Brook Borough's 2026 Concerts in the Park series will continue on Sunday, Aug. 16, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. with a performance from "Ironwood Drive," a Lancaster-based five-part bluegrass outfit that is trying to redefine how people think of the genre.

"We are going to approach traditional bluegrass in a new light than what your grandparents listened to," said Brandon Fox, the band's bassist and primary scheduler. "There's stigma with bluegrass sometimes that the music is slow and outdated, and it is our goal as musicians to bring that music to life, to bring new faces to bluegrass, and to approach it in a way that is both relatable and fun."

The series began with performances by Poor Man's Gambit on June 14 and Westtown Road Band on July 19. All shows take place in Honey Brook Borough Park, 71 Pequea Ave. (Route 10). In lieu of an admission fee, nonperishable food donations will be accepted for the Honey Brook Food Pantry. Alcoholic beverages and dogs are prohibited in the park.

Ironwood Drive was formed in 2017 as the "Werner Family Band" before restructuring into Ironwood Drive in 2021. Originally a household band, vocalist and fiddler Stephen Werner, banjoist Gideon Werner and mandolin player Silas Werner have all been part of the outfit since its inception.

Presently, the brothers are joined by Fox, as well as guitarist Jordan Beedle. Beedle, who works as a paramedic in Delaware when he's not with Ironwood Drive, is the newest member of the band.

The band's present name is derived from the street name of the group's beloved music teacher in Annville.

"He taught many of us at a younger age," Fox explained. "He's both a fantastic musician as well as a phenomenal teacher. ... As the band grew, we were looking for a name that was outside the family name."

Ironwood Drive has played all over the East Coast, making its name playing at local fairs, festivals and churches. The outfit has become a regular fixture at events like the Elizabethtown Fair and Intercourse Heritage Days.

The group has seen increased recent success after winning the "Fan Favorite" award at the 2025 Podunk Bluegrass Festival in Connecticut.

"Bluegrass is something that's really continued to grow in an age where everything is overproduced and everything is AI," Fox said. "Bluegrass has a unique way of being just really raw and creative. ... We won fan favorite as one of the performing artists (at Podunk), and since then it's given us opportunities to play festivals in states and more events than just what's in our backyard."

The band currently has two albums, a self-titled record in 2022 and "A Place Called Home," which was released in 2024. The group's third album, "Gettin' Outta Here," will be released physically on Thursday, Aug. 6, and will be published on streaming platforms by the end of the month.

For the upcoming record, the band worked with Adam Steffey, formerly of Mountain Heart and Allison Krauss & Union Station, as well as sound engineer Aaron Ramsey, currently on tour with Dan Tyminski, via Mountain Fever Studios.

At the Honey Brook show, Fox said that the crowd can expect a strong mix of Ironwood Drive's original songs and some more familiar bluegrass classics that everyone can sing and dance along to.

"High energy is the word I'm looking for, particularly when it pertains to this genre," Fox explained. "It's our goal to go up there and sweat to give the crowd their money's worth."

Physical copies of the upcoming album, as well as merchandise for the band, will be available for purchase at the show.