Eighth annual festival sponsored in part by the Town of Dartmouth
The eighth annual Bristol County Savings Bank Freedom Festival at UMass Dartmouth, an alcohol-free, family-oriented event featuring great music and fireworks, will be held on Wednesday, July 3 on the main campus quadrangle. Rain date will be Friday, July 5.
The festival, free and open to the public, is made possible by a grant from the Bristol County Savings Bank as well as the Town of Dartmouth.
"UMass Dartmouth is pleased to join with the Bristol County Savings Bank and the Town of Dartmouth to celebrate the American spirit with our community,'' UMass Dartmouth Divina Grossman said. "The Freedom Festival is our opportunity to open our university grounds to families from across the region for a night of music and fun."
"Being a community bank, we're especially proud to partner with UMass Dartmouth once again and offer this fun, family-oriented event to the SouthCoast region," said Patrick Murray, President of Bristol County Savings Bank. "The Freedom Festival is always a special evening which celebrates the area's community and national spirit, and the Bank is honored to do its part."
The fun begins at 6:15 p.m. with a concert by the Pop/Latin band Santa Mamba, followed by performances by Rock/Jazz/Zydeco oriented-Entrain at 7:45 p.m. Just prior to the fireworks at 9:15, UMass Dartmouth's a cappella group, Mental Note, will take the stage with some patriotic songs.
In the event of rain, the concerts and fireworks will be held on Friday, July 5 at the same times.
A large turnout is expected and there will be increased security measures taken. Please limit what you bring onto campus. The campus will be open all day and guests are invited to arrive any time after 3 p.m. to find the best available seating. Concession stands and vendors will also be selling a variety of foods, beverages and novelty products.
Traffic, public safety and parking plans are in place through the concerted efforts of university, local and state police. Vehicular access to campus will be closed when all on-campus parking spaces are filled and no later than 9 p.m. Parking will be banned along Old Westport Road throughout the evening.