Marion Co., West Virginia, officials gear up for packed summer at Palatine Park

“We work hand-in-hand with the Three Rivers Festival every year, and this year is no different,” he said. “This year, we’re going to do bands instead of the pepperoni roll eating contest, so we’re looking forward to that. It’s a great way to kick off the summer.”

Palatine Park has an event planned nearly every weekend of the summer — from tribute shows honoring bands such as U2, the Rolling Stones, Talking Heads and Red Hot Chili Peppers to concerts featuring homegrown talent such as the Johnnie Johnson Blues and Jazz Festival and the Sounds Good Festival.

“The highlights are always the tributes, and I get excited about the original bands,” Cinalli said. “We have some incredible bands coming. We have a lot of bands that I’m excited for.

... We’re switching things up, and went further this year with a lot of the tributes to keep things fresh and interesting. This summer embodies the most of all summers. …

“People are excited to come to shows, and we’re getting emails from people who have never been to Palatine, but they’re interested in coming down.”

Cinalli said the summer events at Palatine Park are always a good way to get more people interested in coming to Marion County and Fairmont, and he believes the lineup of shows the venue has this year will be a huge boon to the county.

“We want to use it as a tourism draw and get people in our restaurants and hotels,” Cinalli said. “Hopefully, this is our biggest year yet in that regard.”

The Palatine Park Summer 2023 lineup includes the following shows:

• May 26 — Green River, the Ultimate CCR/John Fogerty Tribute Show
• May 27 — KISS Army, “The Coolest Band in the World”
• June 3 — Palatine Legends Series: SOS, Sounds of Sting and the Police; EXODUS, A Tribute to Bob Marley
• June 10 — Palatine Legends Series: BADFISH, A Tribute to Sublime; The Red Not Chili Peppers
• June 24 — Palatine Legends Series: GROHLFEST, featuring Smells Like Nirvana and FOOZ FIGHTERS
• July 1 — Independence Day event featuring fireworks and entertainment form Byron “Six Six” Cooper, DJ Unique, Weird Science and Liquid A
• July 8 — The Johnnie Johnson Festival, featuring Ernie Johnson from Detroit, Everyday Everybody and High and Mighty Brass Band
• July 15 — Shakespeare in the Park
• July 22 — Palatine Legends Series: Satisfaction, The International Rolling Stones Show; Bullet the Blue Sky, a U2 tribute band
• July 29 — The 2023 Sounds Good Festival, featuring Aristotle Jones, Shelem, Habatat, Heavy Hitters and the Annie Neely Band
• Aug. 5 — The Georgia Thunderbolts and Stephanie Quayle
• Aug. 12 — Anna Moss and the Nightshades and Megan Jean’s Secret Family
• Aug. 19 — Palatine Legends Series: Start Making Sense, a Talking Heads tribute band; Carpool, The Ultimate Cars Tribute Band
• Aug. 26 — Palatine Legends Series: SCHISM, a Tool tribute band
• Sept. 2 — The Bones of J.R. Jones and Benjamin Dakota Rogers

Cinalli encouraged everyone to come out to the park this summer and enjoy the free, live entertainment, adding that there is something for everyone at Palatine Park this season.

“Look at the schedule and find a show you’re interested in,” Cinalli said. “The shows are free, but there is so much going on in Fairmont and Marion County, so look around a little bit. There are new businesses opening up on Merchant Street right above the park. There’s a lot to do at East Marion Park. There are too many things to name. There is so much to do in the area. Make a weekend of it.”

For a full list of events coming up this summer at Palatine Park, visit www.palatineparkwv.com/events.