Pottsville prepares for large crowds, country music superstar Lee Brice at Yuengling’s summer celebration

Jul. 4—Country music singer and songwriter Lee Brice promises fans a “swinging” concert when he takes the stage Saturday as the headline act for D.G. Yuengling & Son’s Stars and Stripes Summer Celebration in downtown Pottsville.

“We’ll call it a roller coaster ride,” he said in a phone interview last week.

Meanwhile, city and brewery officials expect up to 25,000 people to fill the city.

Yuengling will host the free event from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. throughout the city. Along with Brice’s headlining performance, the event will include more than 50 vendors and food trucks, beer gardens and five local musical acts. There will also be a military ceremony.

Brice, who takes the stage at 8 p.m., said that he and his five bandmates, who have performed together a combined 15 years, try to give audiences something new.

“We love to just come out and have a great time ourselves,” the 43-year-old said, “and that spills over into the crowd to where they’re having a great time, too.”

What makes this show even better, Brice added, is that it honors those who have served in the armed forces.

Although he has performed and visited Pennsylvania numerous times over a career in which he has been nominated for a Grammy and had nine singles reach No. 1 on Billboard Country Airplay, he looks forward to performing in Pottsville for the first time.

“I love being in a town that’s been around forever, and I love that it’s the home of Yuengling,” he said. “They get to see something special.”

Brice had long been familiar with Yuengling before being invited to the summer celebration, getting to know officials at his shows. He said he likes that the brewing company has been “true to themselves for a long time.”

“It’s got good people that work hard, that make something that’s great and they’re proud of,” he said.

Brice, a brand ambassador for the brewery and its Stars & Stripes program, which supports veterans through a partnership with the nonprofit Team Red, White & Blue, said he and Yuengling also share an interest in the military.

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Although he hasn’t served in the armed forces, he has numerous relatives who have.

His favorite type of Yuengling beer is Flight, which he said reminds him of growing up in South Carolina.

“It’s all natural,” Brice said of the light beer released in early 2020.

Brice expects a crowd of “good, hardworking folks that like to have a cold beer at the end of the day.”

“They come out ready to rock,” he said. “I’m excited to see everyone.”

Brice received the Musical Event of the Year award at the 54th annual Country Music Association Awards in 2020 and Single of the Year and Music Event of the Year honors at the 56th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in 2021.

His songs have been recorded by Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney.

Country rock group Nick Tauer Band will open for Brice and fireworks will be shot off at 9:30 p.m. following his performance. Brice said he plans to check out some of the vendors before his show.

Debbie Yuengling, the brewery’s employee engagement and culture manager, said she is “very grateful” that Brice is coming to Pottsville.

“He’s been a fantastic brand ambassador,” she said, adding his latest release, “More Beer,” features Yuengling traditional lager in its music video. “He’s been a tremendous supporter of our brands and he has great music.”

Team effort

The event is expected to be the largest of its kind organizers have seen, with city officials preparing for a crowd of up to 25,000 people. Yuengling and the brewery’s marketing team worked with city officials and the Pottsville Area Development Corp. to organize the event.

Mayor Dave Clews said it will be the largest he’s ever seen in the city, but he’s excited and understands why.

“For a die-hard country or Lee Brice fan, a free concert is unheard of,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see people come from hundreds of miles away.”

Similarly, PADCO Executive Director Savas Logothetides said he expects the event to be the largest PADCO has helped organize in his four years with the organization.

Logothetides, who was with PADCO when it helped organize Yuengling’s 190th anniversary celebration in 2019, said organizers used the same model for this year.

He said interest in the event has been strong, with 90% of vendor spots selling out when it was announced in January and 90% of the 150 volunteer spots filling up when signups went online in May.

Organizing the event, he said, has been a “great partnership” among PADCO, the city and Yuengling.

Yuengling said organizing it is something the “whole city has gotten involved in.”

Clews said he is proud of the city’s police, fire and streets departments for their work in helping put the celebration together.

Yuengling said the summer celebration promises “a lot of events” throughout downtown Pottsville.

Stages for the musical performances and military ceremony will be set up at the brewery on Mahantongo Street, on Arch Street and Progress Avenue, with the main stage at Progress Avenue and Laurel Boulevard.

Eight shuttle buses will run visitors from the main parking lots at the former Giant grocery store, Martz Hall, Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill and Nativity BVM High School.

“They can expect great music and wonderful beer,” she said.

She said it is also a way to highlight the military and the brewery’s partnership with Team Red, White & Blue, adding members of the Pennsylvania National Guard and officials from Fort Indiantown Gap will attend Brice’s concert.

Word about it has been far reaching. Craft Haus owner Dave Scott, who has a setup of Yuengling beer cases and pictures of Brice at the store at the Kings Plaza shopping center on Route 901, has heard radio ads for it from as far away as Delaware.

Scott plans to attend Brice’s concert with his wife, Lori.

The summer celebration has been in the works for three years, following the success of the 190th celebration.

Brewery officials initially planned ones in 2020 and 2021 but they were canceled due to the pandemic.

Yuengling said she is thrilled the event is happening this year, adding the brewer is hopeful the event will become an annual one.

“We’re very grateful to all the fans that came last time and we’re hoping that this year will be even bigger and better,” she said.

It is also a way for Yuengling to give back to its hometown.

“Our fans and the community are our number one supporters,” Yuengling said. “We’re very fortunate to be doing this in downtown Pottsville.”

Contact the writer: clee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6028; @Cleespot on Twitter