Depot Friday Night Series to kick off with a focus on America’s 250th

The 21st season of the Depot Friday Night series will kick off on the first Friday of June and continue every Friday evening through the last Friday in August, for 13 evenings of wonderful music, great food, and delightful camaraderie.  

2026 is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and organizers will celebrate this important date at the Depot throughout the summer. There will be musical tributes, essays on the importance of the document, and reflections on the meaning of democracy in our everyday lives.  

Recently a new flagpole was installed next to the Depot Stage Wagon, and it has a very special flag to fly on it.  With the help of our Congressman, they acquired a United States flag that was recently flown over the Capitol in Washington, DC.  Each Depot Friday night before the concert begins at about 6:45 p.m., this flag will be raised while a patriotic song is sung or played by a local resident; often, an area student will have this honor!  

This year, the focus of the display in the Waiting Room will be on the Declaration of Independence and the role many local individuals played in the fight for our independence. Local historian Marty Schneider has researched this important time in history and discovered that about 40 local residents took part in the American Revolutionary War.  

The first band up this year on June 5 will feature The Tarps with Danny Scott as their leader. The Tarps are one of the first bands to play at the Depot, and 2026 will mark their 14th  appearance at the Depot. It will also be the 500th concert The Tarps will have performed over their 19-year career. It will be our honor to celebrate this milestone in The Tarps’ career.

On June 12 Donna and the Country Mystics will come to the Depot. The Mystics is a passionate Country Rock band that merges heartfelt lyrics with vibrant melodies.  Playing both old and new country music, the Mystics stretch the boundaries of what country rock can be.  

June 19 will see Tom and Marie back on stage at the Depot. Tom and Marie were among the very first performers when the Depot Friday Night series was just starting out. With Tom on guitar, Marie on bass, and both on vocals, they continue to entertain us with music from the 60s and 70s.

Admission to the Depot Friday Night series is free, and refreshments are available. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Entertainment begins at 6:45 p.m. When the weather permits, the concert will be on the Depot Stage Wagon, so bring a lawn chair and a couple of friends and join them at the Depot!

This project is made possible, in part, with public funds from the NYS Council on the ARTS’ Decentralization program, administered locally by The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes.