Doo Wop Concert, Bucks' Biggest 1-Day Event, Returns To Bristol

BRISTOL BOROUGH, PA — An outdoor concert sponsored by the Bristol Borough Council this September will feature rock, doo wop, and soul stars on the stage at Riverside Park.

The annual event will take place at the Mill Street Parking lot on Sep. 18, with a rain date of Sep. 19, and usually draws thousands of spectators. Local DJ Craig Whitaker will serve as host for the evening.

“We first started these concerts 15 years ago as something for friends and families to look forward to at the end of the summer," said Ralph DiGuiseppe, Bristol Borough Council President. "It’s become the biggest single-day event in Bucks County."

This year’s concert headliner is Bobby Wilson, who will deliver a musical tribute to his father, Jackie Wilson. Seven other acts will take the stage, too.

A concert committee, working in coordination with DiGuiseppe and Bristol Borough Tax Collector Anna Larrisey, met several times during the winter and spring to select the acts, process contracts, and organize concert logistics.

“They are a committee of strong personalities and they know what needs to happen and they get it done," DiGuiseppe said. "They know how many amps are needed based on the equipment the acts are bringing in, and they make sure all the electrical equipment is in place to support the performers. A second crew works on shuttle buses, food trucks and handling all the needs of the guest performers."

Headliner Bobby Wilson is a three-time Grammy nominee, and a 2022 East Coast Music Hall of Fame nominee. Bobby Wilson’s music career began in Honolulu, Hawaii after an unexpected medical discharge from the US Navy, when his performances at a local karaoke bar caught the eye of Peter Hernandez Sr., founder of the world-famous Doo Wop group, “The Love Notes.” Hernandez, father of Bruno Mars, brought Wilson in to join the group.

Concert goers will also enjoy top performances by The Tymes (So Much In Love), Eddie Holman (Hey There Lonely Girl), The Happenings (See You in September), Bill Haley Jr.’s. Comets (Rock Around the Clock), and Vic Picone & The Elegants (Little Star). Cover bands The Chiclettes and Joel Katz & The Dynamics will be returning to the Bristol Borough stage.

Those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and sweaters as the temperature along the river can be cooler in the second half of September. Food trucks serving a variety of foods and beverages will be on site during the performances.

Free parking and free bus service will be available from the Lenox Parking lot on Radcliffe and Monroe streets, beginning at 3:30 p.m. and continuing until 11 p.m.

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