Bath launches free Levitt AMP waterfront music series this summer

Bath’s waterfront is about to get a summer soundtrack with a practical purpose: pull people downtown, keep Waterfront Park busy, and give nearby businesses more of the foot traffic that comes with a free Saturday-night crowd. The first Levitt AMP Bath Waterfront Music Series opens July 11 at Linwood E. Temple Waterfront Park with the Aba Diop Trio and special guests Pan Fried Steel, launching a run that continues through Aug. 29.

The 2026 series is being presented by the Chocolate Church Arts Center, Main Street Bath and the City of Bath, with support from the Levitt Family Foundation. All shows are set for 5 p.m. except the Cultural Crossroads Festival on Aug. 1, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Organizers are keeping the concerts free and open to everyone, a model meant to make the waterfront feel like a shared public place rather than a ticketed destination.

That civic role has been built piece by piece in a city of roughly 8,800 residents with deep shipbuilding roots along the Kennebec River. Bath’s Waterfront Concerts began under city stewardship in 2013, when City Manager Marc Meyers booked bands and activated Waterfront Park. Over time, the Chocolate Church Arts Center took on more of the production work, helped by former executive director and current City Councilor Jennifer DeChant, Parks and Recreation Director Steve Balboni, Main Street Bath Executive Director Amanda McDaniel, and volunteers who worked with borrowed equipment, limited resources and steady persistence.

Most of the artists in the new series are booked by the Chocolate Church Arts Center, the year-round nonprofit performing arts venue at 804 Washington Street. The lineup is meant to bring world-class artists and a range of musical traditions to Bath while giving residents and visitors another reason to spend time on the waterfront and in the downtown core. For restaurants, shops and other nearby businesses, a successful season likely means fuller patios, more walk-in traffic and a livelier summer rhythm along the riverfront.

The Aug. 1 Cultural Crossroads Festival adds a special layer to the season. Curated by Matt Shipman and Erica Moore of Darlin’ Corey, it is set to highlight the musical connections between Old Time and Irish music, underscoring how the series blends entertainment with cultural exchange. Bath residents voted last September to bring the Levitt AMP grant to the city, and this summer’s concerts will test whether that support can translate into a stronger waterfront commons and a busier downtown.