Bandtoberfest – A Family- Friendly Celebration of Autumn Returns to the Town Common September 29

Source: UMass Department of Music and Dancce

On Sunday, September 29, The UMass Wind Ensemble, conducted by Matthew Westgate, and the UMass Symphony Band, conducted by Lindsay Bronnenkant, will perform on the Amherst Common on Sunday September 29 from 2-5 p.m. as part of the fourth annual “Bandtoberfest” event sponsored by the Amherst Downtown Business Improvement District (BID).

Near the beginning of each October, the family-friendly event brings hundreds of concertgoers to the Common to celebrate the coming of fall. This year’s event will feature performances of music from movie soundtracks (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc.), musicals (Mary Poppins, West Side Story, Sound of Music, etc.) plus marches, polkas, and classic band works by the two ensembles. The event is free and open to the public. 

The Abandoned Building Brewery will be on hand this year serving wine and freshly-brewed beer; audience members are also invited to bring a picnic either from home or from one of the local eateries and cafes, along with a blanket or chair.

Westgate, who also serves as chair of the UMass Amherst Department of Music & Dance, commented, “This annual event is something we look forward to every year! We love partnering with the BID to bring the community together to celebrate great music and the most beautiful time of the year in Amherst. We hope people of all ages will come to the Common to enjoy our student performers and support local restaurants and this year’s vendors.”