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Essex Day ‘Returning To Its Roots’

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Photo by Dan Baldwin, Avenue News

By Dan Baldwin

The community’s biggest day of the year will be returning once again this September and will be “returning to its roots.”

Thousands are expected to pack the streets of the 400 and 500 blocks of Eastern Boulevard between Woodward Drive and Mace Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 18, for the 41st annual Essex Day Festival.

While a lot may appear to look the same with this year’s festival, festival-goers can expect to see many changes, with the biggest change happening earlier this year.

The Avenue reported back in January that after 12 years June Donovan decided to step down as the co-chair of Essex Day. She has been replaced by co-chairs Kevin McDonough and Carol Karwacki who are hard at work bringing the Essex Day Festival back to its roots.

The first big change most will not only see, but hear, will be the local bands performing on the main stage.

“We wanted to get back to the roots of Essex Day, to back when it was Super Sunday,” McDonough told the Avenue News. “So we have a bunch of local independent bands to perform.”

This year’s bands will include Essex locals Barefoot Johnny, Milton J and The Leftovers of Frederick, Dundalk’s Breakforth, and Joint Operation from Baltimore.

“They are all super excited to play Essex Day,” McDonough said.

With Barefoot Johnny will performing classic rock songs, Breakforth playing rock tunes, Milton J and The Leftovers performing alternative rock and hip hop, and Joint Operation playing rock and reggae, there will certainly be something for everyone.

Continue reading at The Avenue News.