Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

Music, community, education take the stage during 4-day Weekender festival

One of many performers during last year’s Weekender festival. Photo credit: Harrisburg Housing Authority

For a second straight year, the Harrisburg Housing Authority (HHA) is bringing its resources and music to the community with its Weekender festival, a four-day celebration designed to educate, entertain and uplift.

The multi-faceted event will be packed with live performances, food and educational resources for residents.

“This was a great opportunity for us to hold a cross-venue celebration where we take our residents out into the general community and invite everyone else onto our property as well,” said Casey “Oche” Bridgeford, HHA’s director of communications and compliance.

HHA is kicking off the event with a “NetWorth” summit at the Hilton Harrisburg. The summit provides attendees with the “ins and outs of entrepreneurship and wealth-building,” according to its website. Speakers from 100 Percent Financed, Black upStart, BB&T and Penn State will host sessions on starting your own business, credit management and more.

“This is a great opportunity for them to come out and learn the nuts and bolts of getting started,” Bridgeford said. “We want to put all those resources in one place.”

Friday, the second day of the Weekender, is “Community Day,” hosted in Hall Manor. Along with music by DJ Beauty and The Beatz and Johnny Bliss, HHA will have kids’ activities, health screenings and a school supply giveaway.

The last two days are the Weekender’s “Music in the Park” in Reservoir Park. Performers include international jazz artist Laurin Talese, two-time Grammy-nominated singer Case, as well as local artists such as Lady Shakespere, Maschine Life, The Singer’s Lounge and more.

HHA started its Weekender events last year with the goal of bringing the community together and highlighting some of the programs and services that HHA offers. According to Bridgeford, HHA houses more than 5,000 residents, which amounts to about 10 percent of Harrisburg’s population. Some of the programs offered include a Summer Team Program that pays youth to work in the community doing beautification, a food pantry and a free clinic.

“It’s really an enriching experience. From the beginning to the end, [the event] is packed full of resources for attendees to enrich their lives,” Bridgeford said. “That’s what we want to do at the end of the day.”

The Weekender event runs Thursday, Aug. 15 to Sunday, Aug, 18. For more information visit www.weekenderhbg.com.

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