By Chris Hulsart

MUSIC fans here at York College of Pennsylvania received additional great news shortly after the reveal of the school’s spring concert with the announcement of a music festival that will commence in town in the fall.

The White Rose Music Festival is a collaboration between the college and the York Revolution. It is scheduled for Oct. 7-8 at PeoplesBank Park in downtown York. The lineup is stacked with a diverse group of talents and is headlined by 12-time Grammy-nominated country artist Jamey Johnson and three-time Grammy-nominated singer Grace Potter.

The festival was made possible partly because of The William Stewart Shipley II Fund for Music, which was created by the Shipley family in order to bring high-profile musicians to York College to interact with students and faculty of the music program and to perform for the college and the York community.

Troy Miller, vice president of development at YCP, who is leading the efforts for the concert, said, “The event itself promotes President Gunter-Smith’s passion for connecting the college with the community. In addition, the event allows for students in all majors to gain valuable experiential learning through the process.”

Added Gunter-Smith: “The relationship between York College of Pennsylvania and the community is essential to the success of both. With our community partners, we have built, and will continue to build, robust pathways between the campus on Country Club Road and the city, the county, and the region. The White Rose Music Fest is another important step toward ensuring this relationship stays strong.”

Revolution officials said the festival helps the team further its goal to become York’s premier outdoor entertainment venue.

“I have always made the point that we are not just a sports company, we are a hospitality and entertainment company,” Revolution President Eric Menzer said in a release after the mid-March announcement. “This is just one more example of that. As we come out of the COVID pandemic, we are well-positioned as a company to bring this kind of world-class entertainment to York, and we’re excited to do it.”

Even though it is a little while away, there is already buzz from the student body on the festival. Freshman Jackie Karcz said, “Whenever me and my friends have a chance to go to live music, we are there no matter who is performing.”

Chris Hulsart is a freshman and a Sport Media major.

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