Top-Flight music, fireworks and an all-new drone show will be in the spotlight during the 2024 Taylor Summer Festival scheduled for June 27-30 at Heritage Park.

38 Special, a Southern Rock band, will be the featured musical group on Friday, June 28 and will be followed by a free drone show above Heritage Park. The drone show will be displayed at dusk. Saturday, June 29 is fireworks night at the festival. Rock bands April Wine and Jack Russell's Great White will take the stage. Fireworks will be displayed around dusk at approximately 10 p.m.

Ticket prices for each concert are $30 advance seated ($35 day of show) and $15 advance general admission standing room ($20 day of show). The advance ticket links for each concert will be available online at www.taylorfestival.com. Parking at reasonable prices will be located both inside and outside Heritage Park.


38 Special

After more than four decades, 38 Special continues to bring a signature Southern Rock sound to over 100 cities a year. Their many Gold and Platinum album awards stand in testament to the endurance of a powerhouse.

With sales in excess of 20 million, most associate the band with their arena-rock pop smashes, “Hold On Loosely,” “Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Caught Up in You,” “Fantasy Girl,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” “Chain Lightnin’,” “Second Chance,” and more. They are all timeless hits that remain a radio staple. Since 1976, the band has released more than 15 albums.

“We never wanted to be one of those bands that had maybe gotten a little soft or complacent over the years,” said Guitarist/Vocalist Don Barnes, a founding member who created the original group with Donnie Van Zant in 1974. “We're a team, and it's always been kind of an unspoken rule that we don’t slack up, we stack up. We go out there every night to win.”

The 38 Special current lineup includes Barnes, keyboardist/vocalist Bobby Capps, drummer Gary Moffett, bassist Barry Dunaway and guitarist Jerry Riggs.

"This music keeps our wheels on the road,” Barnes said. “We're a band that's tried to stay honest with what has driven us over the years. We started out with nothing but bold determination to make our own history and to endure … The magic's still there. It's an emotional high for us to keep 'bringing it' after all these years. When those lights go down and we all walk up those steps to the stage and hear that crowd roar, it’s a real rush …."


Drone Show

This year’s event has a new feature: a drone show. According to Parks & Recreation Director Guido Ulin, the free-to-the-public show will be “unique and a first in the Downriver area.”

“This drone show is to honor the late Taylor Police Officer Matthews Edwards and Taylor Auxiliary member Dan Kromer,” Police Chief John Blair said. “We also want to honor military veterans and create a show that can be attended by autistic children. Overall, it will have a patriotic theme.”

Drone light shows are performed by illuminated, synchronized and choreographed groups of drones that arrange themselves into various aerial formations. The drones are controlled by a central computer, which sends signals concerning display color and movement. Drone shows are traditionally quieter than fireworks, making them a perfect substitute for people who do not react well to loud noises.

Almost any image can be recreated in the sky by computer program. During the Detroit Lions’ recent run to the National Football Conference title game, a large drone show was held over the City of Detroit and drew raves from onlookers across the region.

Drone shows can involve a minimum of 100 to 150 drones. Recommended viewing distance for drone shows is about 300 yards, but that can depend greatly on weather conditions. In some instances, drone shows have been spotted from a mile away.


April Wine, Jack Russell’s Great White and the fireworks

Taking the stage on fireworks night, Saturday, June 29, will be rock bands April Wine and Jack Russell’s Great White.

April Wine, a noted Canadian band first formed in 1969, is now made up of Brian Greenway, Marc Parent, Roy “Nip” Nichol and Richard Lanthier. The band has released 15 studio albums, three live releases, numerous compilations, a boxed set and thousands of concerts.

Jack Russell and Mark Kendall created the band Great White in 1981. Russell stayed with the band until 1996, when he took three years off to release a solo album. He rejoined the band until it broke up in 2001 and eventually changed the name to what it is today. Russell now tours with band members Robby Lochner, Tony Cardenas-Montana and Dan McNay.

Visit www.taylorfestival.com for more information and ticket links during the coming weeks. The summer festival is presented by 360 Event Productions and the City of Taylor.