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Chestnut Ridge Conservancy to host BPO for free concert on July 16

Jul 12, 2016 | Arts & Culture

The Chestnut Ridge Conservancy (CRC) is pleased to bring the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra to Chestnut Ridge Park for a free outdoor concert. The show will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 16. In the event of rain, the concert will be rescheduled for 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 17.

The BPO will set up their bandstand at the base of the sledding hill near the casino. The evening’s program commemorates the 50th anniversaries of Batman and Star Trek, the 40th anniversary of “Rocky,” the coming Olympic Games in Rio and the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The entire program is listed on the Conservancy’s website at ChestnutRidgeConservancy.org.

To add to the festivities, the Conservancy will be handing out American flags to those making a donation to the Conservancy. Conservancy volunteers will be “passing the bucket” before the concert. Contributions to the Conservancy through free-will donations and memberships are channeled back into the park to help achieve the goal of restoring and preserving this local treasure.

Chestnut Ridge Conservancy President Justine LeFauve stated: “The cooperation between the Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry under Commissioner Dan Rizzo, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chestnut Ridge Conservancy is outstanding. We are all working together to promote the natural beauty of this county gem. There is no finer outdoor venue for a concert in the Southtowns.”

“We are also indebted to the Erie County Sheriff’s department for providing security, as well as the Cheektowaga Police Explorers Post 464 and the Erie County Sheriff’s Explorers Post 505 for assisting us with parking and post-event clean up,” LeFauve added.

Guests are encouraged to bring folding chairs, blankets and light jackets. Parking will be at a premium. Visitors are urged to carpool and arrive early.

Chestnut Ridge Park is one of Erie County’s five original parks, established in 1926. Its 1,231 acres are noted for its grassy hillside with impressive views of Lake Erie, Buffalo and Canada; deep ravines; mature woodlands and the “Eternal Flame” falls. The stone casino, which sits on the north-facing hillside near the main entrance, is a vintage Works Project Administration Building, eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Chestnut Ridge Conservancy is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization established to work closely with the Erie County Parks Commission to help establish the direction for repairs and improvements in Chestnut Ridge Park, one of the largest county parks in the United States. More information is available at ChestnutRidgeConservancy.org.

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