There was a huge crowd at Celebrate Erie 2006 on Friday. There was an estimated 40-50,000 thousand people with 20-25,000 on hand to watch the Beach Boys. The Beach Boys turned out to be a very good choice with pre-teens to people old enough to be their great grandparents enjoying their show which lasted over 2 hours. I didn’t see or hear of one problem with a medium size but visible police presence.
The complete schedule of events and musical acts is too big to print here but here’s the Celebrate Erie music schedule with The Clarks and Seven Mary Three headlining for today:

Main stage at 4th and State:
2 pm God’s of Rock
3 pm Erie Dance Conservatory
4:15 pm One World Tribe
5:45 pm Jake’s Blues
7:30 pm Seven Mary Three (7M3)
9:30 pm The Clarks

Perry Square stage:
12 noon Suzuki Strings
1:30 pm Matthew J Thompson
3 pm Mambo
6 pm Duke Sherman

9th and State stage:
1:30 Rance No Terna
3 pm Heaner Brothers Band

South State at 11th and State:
12:45 pm MLK Dancers
2 pm Miss Lucy Dance
3 pm Spotlight Dance
4:30 pm Familiar Spirit
6:15 pm Erie’s own Elvis Jim Moore
7:30 pm Buddy Holly Tribute

Lynn Swann, the Republican candidate for governor, begins his TV spots on Monday. The Erie market is the first place they’ll run.

Melissa passed along word that she’s landed a job in Meadville and works for the Seco/Warwick Corporation in the Aftermarket Services Division. Congrats young lady and congrats to the company which strengthened itself by hiring her.

Kurt Airoso hit a walk off home run as the Erie SeaWolves beat Connecticut 3-2. The SeaWolves take on the Connecticut Defenders at 7:05 pm tonight. It’s also Little League Day at the Uht, so all kids (boys and girls) wearing their team jerseys or caps will be allowed in free.

The 4th Annual Erie SeaWolves Family Fun Run/Walk for Epilepsy will be held Saturday morning August 19. Proceeds of the event will benefit the Epilepsy Foundation Western/Central Pennsylvania.

It’s Art Day today at the expERIEnce Erie Children’s Museum. This event is free with Museum admission of $4.50 per person, free to members.

“Class is in Session” starring Mary Alice Brown is playing the The Roadhouse Theatre Fridays and Saturdays through August 26.

“West Side Story” is David Matthew’s final production as Managing Director of the Erie Playhouse. The production runs until runs until Sunday, August 20. For ino and tickets call 814-454-2852 ext 0.

The United We Stand Theater Troupe production of “Dreamgirls!” runs until Sunday, August 20 at the Metroplex on Buffalo Road. Showtimes are 7 pm, and 3 pm for the Sunday matinees. Ticket price of $15 includes a buffet dinner one hour before the show.

Family First Sports Park is hosting the 2006 Hoops Classic 3-on-3 Streetball Tournament today.

The 2006 Hamot 10k Mayor’s Cup and 5K Walk/Run takes place on Sunday August 20.

The 10th annual Erie German Heritage Festival will be held September 2-3, 2006 from 11-8 daily at St Nick’s Grove, 5131 Old French Road (Route 97).

Erie’s last blast of summer, the second annual Erie Heritage Festival, featuring a special Erie Philharmonic Pops concert on the Bay, will be held on Saturday, September 9, at Liberty Park’s Pepsi Amphitheater.

Former Mecyhurst College basketball great Brent Swain is organizing a Mercyhurst Laker Alumni Basketball Game which is scheduled for September 9 at 7 pm in the Mercyhurst Athletics Center (MAC)..

Barbara Hurd will open the 2006 Creative Writer’s Speaker Series at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, with a reading on Thursday, Sept 14. Hurd’s reading will begin at 6 pm in the worship space of the Smith Chapel. A reception for her at 4:30 pm in the chapel living room will precede her appearance; both are free and open to the public. Hurd is the author of two literary nonfiction books, Stirring the Mud: On Swamps, Bogs, and Human Imagination, which was named a Los Angeles Times Best Book of 2001, and Entering the Stone: On Caves and Feeling Through the Dark, and a book of poetry, Objects in This Mirror.