Your Guide to 8 Great Tuesdays

8 Great Tuesdays at the Liberty Park Amphitheater begins tomorrow (July 8). This is a FREE community concert series that takes place at Liberty Park on the bayfront.  It’s a spectacular venue right on the water where you can watch the sunset while taking in some great tunes for eight weeks in July and August.

Concerts start at 6:30 a.m. and run till about 9:30 a.m. but there is no admittance after 9 p.m.

These concerts draw a BIG crowd (thousands most weeks), so there are a LOT of rules that have developed over the years to keep the event fun and safe for all.  Here’s the run down of the most important things you should know about 8 Great Tuesdays and a few Erie Insider tips.

Parking

There is very limited parking at Liberty Park and it fills up quickly. I’d strongly suggest that you not park there as it will be hard to get in and out. You are better off  taking the free shuttle or walking the mile or so to the venue. 

The free shuttle buses, provided by the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, start at 5 pm and will run in a continuous loop until the event ends from two locations:

1. Erie Intermodal Transportation Center, 208 East Bayfront Parkway Erie, PA 16507

2. Thomas C. Hoffman Transportation Hub, Lincoln-Park-N’-Ride, 12th & Lincoln Streets.

ERIE INSIDER TIP: If you don’t mind walking, you can easily walk from the shuttle stop at Intermodel (about a 1.5 mile walk on bayfront promenade), or park in the city on 2nd street or nearby and take the pedestrian walkway to Liberty Park.  Note: There is handicap parking near the park (placard required).

ERIE INSIDER TIP #2: Bike in. Just park a mile or two away in the city, or on the bayfront, and ride your bike to Liberty Park. If you do, bring a lock, you cannot take your bike into the park, but must park it in the bike racks outside the gate. 

Note: There is handicap parking near the park (placard required).

Kids cannot attend alone

Those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and that adult must remain on the premises for the duration of the time the children are there.  Young adults who appear to be near the age requirement should bring government-issued ID to prove they are over 18.  

What to bring:

• A credit card. The park vendors (food, beer, etc.) do not accept cash.

• Your ID. Adults over 21 will need it to purchase alcohol. Young people will need this to prove they are over 18.

• A blanket and/or lawn chairs. If you have chair-in-a-bag chairs, you must remove them from the bag and carry them in without the bag.

• A small cooler/bag/purse. Everything must be smaller than 10x10x10.

• A wagon or stroller for the kids. These are permitted but will be inspected.

• Jacket or blanket, if it’s expected to be cooler. It’s almost always windy at Liberty Park. 

• Sunglasses/sunscreen. You will be sitting in an open field with little to no shade. 

ERIE INSIDER TIP #3: Bring an empty refillable water bottle. There are bottle filling stations in the park. 

ERIE INSIDER TIP #4: You can bring your own snacks, but they must all fit and be in a clear gallon plastic bag. 

What not to bring

• Pets, except registered service animals.

• You can buy it there, if you wish (cash only)

• Glass bottles of any kind.

• Large coolers, bags, backpacks

• Water bottles (even sealed) over 20 ounces

• Signs, banners, etc.

• Weapons of any kind. 

Good to know:

• You will have to pass by security at the gate, and your items will be inspected.

• Due to security measures at the gate, long lines can form to get in. Expect to wait in line. Plan accordingly. 

• There are food and beer/drink vendors inside the park (no cash, bring a card)

• There are lots of portable toilets available. That said, they are portable toilets.

• There are no chairs or bleachers, you’ll be sitting on a grassy hill in front of the stage. If it’s rained recently, bring a tarp to put under your blanket.

• You can listen to the concert from the water (boat/kayak, etc.) but you cannot access Liberty Park from the water’s edge, so you will not be able to get into the park to get food, drinks, use the restrooms, etc.

• There is a playground at the park, but it is below the concert seating area, so you won’t be able to keep an eye on the concert and the kids at the same time.

• Bikes and skateboards are not permitted in the park, but there are bike racks outside the entrance to the park.

ERIE INSIDER TIP #5: If you want primo parking, you can arrive early and eat dinner at Jrs on the Bay/Sloppy Duck Saloon, a restaurant next to the park. They charge you $20 to park, but they take that off your food bill, if you eat there. 

For more info, check out the event website.