South Berwick’s free summer concert series is back in Shoetown Park with a lineup of some of the Seacoast’s most popular musicians.
Hot Summer Nights concert series, now in its 26th year, will present genres ranging from bluegrass and country to rock and folk. Shows are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday evenings in July, starting July 8, and 6 p.m. for August shows.
Moving the show to Shoetown last year proved to be popular, offering a quieter spot for performers and more open space for families with young children.
“Change is hard but it turned out that the audience could hear the music better and families with children were thrilled to have so much open space and a playground nearby,” said Hanna Bulger, an organizer with SoBo Central, the community’s nonprofit.
A lineup of young rising stars will open for the main acts, with the last concert at 6 p.m. Aug. 12.
The Hot Summer Nights concerts are sponsored by local businesses, which are recognized at the shows and on Facebook. Sponsors have included The Birches Group, Tanya Cattabriga; The Red Team (now Porchlight Home Group), Brandon Elsemore; Village Green Housewrights, Great Northern Builders, Edward Jones-South Berwick, First Parish Federated Church, Berwick Academy, Lassel Architects, Chip Harding, PB & J, and good girl graphics.
Hot Summer Nights is a program of SoBo Central, South Berwick’s non-profit community group. An umbrella group for several organizations, SoBo Central includes the Food Pantry, the Common Ground Tuskegee-South Berwick Sister City project, and the Keep South Berwick Warm Fuel Fund.
The South Berwick VFW will sell dinner and snacks, and the location has parking and portable toilets. As in the past, audience members are invited to bring picnics.
In the case of rain, the concert will move inside to the Community Center, which sits by the Fire Department.
The 2026 line up of summer concerts includes:
July 8 – The Lion Sisters. A sibling duo who grew up on a farm in rural New Hampshire surrounded by music, Josi sings and plays fiddle and Lily is on guitar. The two have performed at farmers markets and local venues, including Book & Bar and The Stone Church. Their debut EP features six original songs with a sound that blends folk and bluegrass with Irish fiddle, vintage country, and subtle pop and rock influences. Opener Jillian and Sasha Stucker of Burlington, Vt., will open this show to round out the night of sibling “blood’ harmony. Gifted musicians and songwriters who grew up in a musical household, they are the grandnieces of Chip and Madeleine Harding.
July 15 – Gnarly Darling. This band offering Americana/roots rock with a blend of jangle and grooves consists of: singer-songwriter and guitarist Ryan Feeley; bluesy harp wizard Pete “Chainsaw” Lassey; soulful vocalist Jessi Rigorda Eva; drummer Gary Goodman, and bassist Eric Turner. Opener John Malloy is a singer/songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist. A Marshwood grad, he played the first Hot Summer Nights concert in 2001.
July 22 – Cool Beans. The four Seacoast musicians bring their talent and sense of humor to every performance. The band includes Scott Stevens on guitar and vocals; Scot Weinstein on guitar and vocals, Dan MacLellan on bass and vocals, and Dan Fishbein on drums and vocals. Opener: Don Demers, a highly respected seascape artist and teacher, is making his musical debut as a singer, guitarist and songwriter and will play set of classic acoustic tunes along with a few Demers originals.
July 29 – Klaxton, O’Donnell and Effenberger. This trio boasts the voice of Taylor O’Donnell, Michael Effenberger on the Hammond B3 Organ and Chris Klaxton on drums offering a bit of swing, a bit of classic soul, some funky, a little lonesome, and some rocking for good measure. Something for the whole family! Opener: Hazel Hunter, a rising 7th grader at Marshwood Middle School, is an emerging songwriter, guitarist and performer who will play her original songs.
Aug. 5 -Mackie Bogh and Beckett Barlow will return to again share this top billing. Bogh is an accomplished songwriter, producer and recording artist with an impressive track listing on Soundcloud. A 2025 graduate of Marshwood High School, he is studying architecture at Metropolitan University in Toronto, while continuing to write and record new music. Barlow is a rising talent from Sanford who primarily performs covers and loves all things country and rock. He is pursuing a degree in Safety and Occupational Health Applied Sciences at Keene State College. Openers: Kieran McKinnon and Hollis Cannella Matthews are juniors at Berwick Academy. This talented duo performs at every opportunity, both on and off campus, and this will be their second appearance on the Hot Summer Nights stage.
Aug. 12 – Undercover, Southern Maine’s premier party band, delivers high-energy performances and a hit-packed song list spanning decades. From Van Morrison and The Beatles to The Clash and Weezer, their tight harmonies, incredible sound, and fun stage presence keep dance floors full and crowds singing along. Undercover brings the party and leaves audiences wanting more. Opener: Jerry Leavitt of South Berwick is an accomplished singer/guitarist who plays a mix of classic acoustic tunes and beautifully crafted originals.
Those who want to follow the series can go to facebook.com/HotSummerNightsConcerts and http://www.sobocentral.org
