You’re lounging in a chair by the beach, your feet propped up, with a cold drink in your hand. A gentle breeze blows in off the water as the setting sun creates a cascading swirl of pinks and oranges across the skyline. You close your eyes and the sweet notes of the saxophone on stage echo through the night. Sound inviting? It’s why our fall concert series is one of the favorites all year!

As the Sounds of Summer Concerts draw to an end, Yorktown will quickly transition into the next round of live music with Rhythms on the Riverwalk. These free outdoor performances kick off on September 9 and run every Thursday night through mid-October, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This year features several genres of music including country, jazz and yes—even a little bluegrass!

September 9: The Whiskey Rebellion

Hailing from The Fan District of Richmond, this high-energy acoustic band has played thousands of shows across the nation. They draw from their diverse backgrounds to bring a little bluegrass, jazz, and a bit of rock and roll to the stage. While they cover a wide variety of artists, their approach to each song is always steeped in their acoustic ability to nail three-part harmonies. They have been hailed “the best thing to happen to Americana since 1776” by the Richmond-Times Dispatch and cannot wait to take the stage in Riverwalk Landing.

September 16: The BJ Griffin Band

Yorktown is excited to welcome back The BJ Griffin Band who performed in this series last fall and has also taken the Freight Shed stage during our winter concert series. Griffin is a singing cellist who has performed internationally. He enjoys mixing classical, jazz, and pop music in hopes of breaking the barriers between music genres. You never know what instrument he’s going to masterfully pick up during his performance to start playing!

September 23: Blue Tips Rhythm Revue

They didn’t set out to be the next go-to Motown band in the region, but when they played for their friend’s wedding over ten years ago, they fell into a groove that was too good to let go. The performers may be young but don’t let their age fool you. They are filled with old-school soul.

September 30: Bobby BlackHat Band

Bobby "BlackHat" Walters is a recording artist, harmonica player, vocalist, songwriter, and actor who hails from Cleveland. His band brings together the finest blues musicians in Hampton Roads to perform classic, modern, and even some original blues tunes that will keep your toes tappin’ and your hips shakin’ all night long.

October 7: Dave Cynar Band

This high-energy modern country band promises to rock new music in the styles of Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Jake Owen, Tim McGraw, and other favorites. He just finished his latest album, recorded in Nashville and you may even get to hear some of his original hits when he takes the stage.

October 14: Good Shot Judy

This talented group plays some of the best songs written in the last hundred years—in a way that’s all their own. They put on a stellar performance every time they play in Yorktown—filling the Riverwalk with the smooth sounds of jazz, a little swing, and even some big band favorites! GSJ has opened for national acts like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies.  

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

You are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs for seating. Coolers are also allowed and many Historic Yorktown restaurants will be open before and after the concert for dine-in and takeout options. In addition, Boyd’s Tasty Dogs and Coastal Thirst food trucks will rotate service on the concert field, offering to-go snacks and meals for purchase.

Parking will not be available on the upper level of the Water Street Parking Terrace through Oct. 1 and the lower level may also have limited capacity some evenings. This is so that required maintenance and structural repairs can be completed. On affected concert nights, a special shuttle will run attendees from the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown’s parking lot to Riverwalk Landing, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The free Yorktown Trolley will also be running until 9 p.m. on all concert nights to pick up visitors from nearby public lots including those behind York Hall, the York-Poquoson Courthouse, and the County Administration Building. You can access our digital parking map here.