When Fred Hughes became the director of the New Holland Band in January 2024, he had an idea to reprise the organization's park concert appearances that he remembered from his time in the band as a teenager. "I wanted to bring the band's summer concert series back," stated Hughes. "(The New Holland Band) used to play at several different parks throughout the county."

Hughes went to work looking for grant money to resurrect the series he remembered, and he secured funds from the High Foundation in the summer of 2024. According to Hughes, High provided enough funding to get the New Holland Band Concerts in the Park Initiative started this year. The series kicked off with the traditional July 4 concert in New Holland.

For the next number in the initiative program, the band will perform a free concert at Thomas P. Grater Community Park, 320 Cocalico St., Ephrata, Sunday, Aug. 17, from 7 to 9 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. "Ephrata was the next logical place to go," noted Hughes, who added that New Holland Band history recorded a concert in the Grater Park band shell just prior to the first planning sessions for the organization's trip to Longvic, France, in 1974. "It's good we are going back after all these years."

Hughes has planned a number of tunes for the concert, ranging from marches to waltzes to Broadway fare. He said he is featuring some Strauss compositions because he believes the waltzes compliment the atmosphere of a summer evening outdoors. "Waltzes tend to lend themselves to light summer fare," he stated. The event will kick off with "The Star-Spangled Banner," and the first half will include a tango and a few medleys. "Appalachian Morning," which Hughes said is a newer piece by Robert Sheldon, was written to put the spotlight on the settlers of the area where Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee meet. "It's a beautiful piece that represents sunrise through the day," said Hughes. The first half will also include a medley of eight songs from "The Wizard of Oz" and end with the "Broadway Showstoppers Overture," which includes well-known tunes, such as "People," "That's Entertainment," "Everything's Coming Up Roses," "With a Little Bit of Luck," "On a Clear Day," and "Try to Remember." "They are great songs," commented Hughes.

The second half will feature keyboard player Richard Fitz on Billy Joel's "Root Beer Rag." "St. Louis Blues," which audience members may recall from the film "The Glenn Miller Story," will be part of the repertoire, along with "Overture on an Early American Hymn," which Hughes relayed is based on "My Shepherd will Supply My Need." "It's written by Claude T. Smith, who is big in the concert band world," said Hughes, adding, "It does justice to the hymn in a really cool way." The concert will conclude with Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever."

Hughes hopes that the 2026 funding will allow him to hold at least two more concerts. "One in Quarryville because we used to play there, and one in Binns Park (on North Queen Street, Lancaster)," he stated.

More information about upcoming performances may be found at https://newhollandband.org.