Musikfest Memories from this Year’s Linny Awardees

The Linny Awards, named after Marlene ‘Linny’ Fowler, a stained-glass artist and community leader who supported artists and arts organizations throughout the Lehigh Valley for more than a quarter century, are designed to recognize and celebrate the region’s flourishing arts community. The winners of this year’s Linny Awards, presented to distinguished individuals from the region for their longtime commitment and dedication to the arts will be held Thursday, November 9 at 5 p.m. at SteelStacks.

We sat down with three awardees, John and Brenda McGlade ‘Philanthropy in the Arts Award,’ Chuck and Cindy Yeoman ‘Lifetime Achievement – Volunteer Category,’ and Sean Boyle of Boyle Construction ‘Business Supporter of the Arts Award,’ to learn more about their fondest memories of Musikfest over the last 40 years.

The McGlades: John and Brenda McGlade are lifelong residents of the Lehigh Valley and have been to almost every Musikfest over the last 40 years, packing blankets and chairs, and enjoying the festival with their four children and seeing lots of friends throughout the week. They’ve even reserved rooms at the Hotel Bethlehem and The Sands (now Wind Creek) to host parties and Joe’s Tavern was a must every year to purchase a Musikfest T-shirt. John, a Lehigh University graduate and retired Chairman and CEO of Air Products, grew up in Fountain Hill and worked on the SouthSide throughout high school and college. “It’s amazing to see what founder Jeff Park’s vision helped to create, especially following the fall of Bethlehem Steel,” commented John.

“The revitalization of the city has been amazing and we’ve been supporting the ArtsQuest organization and Musikfest for many years.”

Brenda, a retired music teacher and choir director, graduated from Westminster Choir College, has always been an avid supporter of the arts. “Access to artistic, cultural and educational experiences is vital when creating a better community,” commented Brenda. “We’re grateful to the ArtsQuest team, volunteers and all the fellow festers. This is truly a one-of-a-kind event that allows both new and established entertainers the opportunity to share their talents with over a million people – and it allows so many to see what the Lehigh Valley has to offer.” Favorite memories of bands include The Beach Boys, KC and the Sunshine Band, Steve Miller Band, YES, Deep Purple, Willie Nelson, Toby Keith, Sofa Kings, Red Elvises and Craig Thatcher, just to name a few. They love the smaller platzes too, and the tremendous variety of music that is offered at them. “It’s great just to walk the streets and listen,” says Brenda. “Of course, seeing our son’s band, Royal Noise Brigade, perform on Main Street and seeing them land on the front page of the newspaper several years in a row has been a treat,” added John. “Later, his band Fright Barker and Sons, played to the crowds at Volksplatz and the Musikfest Café.” And, a favorite memory that will last with them forever was seeing Tony Bennett perform in the company of both their own mothers and dancing the polka with them at Festplatz.

The Yeomans: When Chuck and Cindy Yeoman first came to the Lehigh Valley from their home in Bucks County, it was to attend Musikfest. Not being familiar to Bethlehem or where to park, they found a spot and hopped on the bus. A fun-filled number of hours later, they realized they didn’t purchase a return ticket before they got on the bus. As a result, they had to walk back to their car at the Minsi Trails Bridge, taking in the city. And, they discovered a beautiful town. Since moving to Williams Township in 1992, Chuck and Cindy rarely miss a Musikfest and have been volunteers for over 10 years (at both Musikfest and ArtsQuest), even staying at Hotel Bethlehem during the entire festival so they can help behind-the-scenes during the day and then enjoy the time with family and friends, hitting as many venues as they can. With Cindy sporting her festival hat, the couple are hard to miss. The Yeomans believe in the importance of getting involved in the community. “Volunteering makes our community a better place to live,” they commented.

“Whether it is setting up tents for Musikfest, sitting on an ArtsQuest Board or Committee or helping with a Levitt concert, we are always willing to lend a helping hand. Through volunteering, we became members.” Now retired, Chuck served as Vice President, Partner and COO at Campbell Supply Company, where he worked for 37 years and currently consults through his company, CJY Solutions, LLC. Cindy, also retired, was employed with M&M Sales, Inc. where she was a Financial Controller and sales support. Over the years, Cindy has volunteered with ArtsQuest as an usher, ticket taker, festival set up/take down, beer tapping and stagehand.

Chuck is a Board Member of the Friends of Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks as well as an ArtsQuest volunteer and he’s been a volunteer firefighter since age 16. “It’s amazing how the volunteers get together and everyone feels so comfortable-you want to come back year after year,” said Cindy. “As a volunteer, you’re there to make sure everyone is happy. I’ve found performers to be the nicest people in the world, whether country, rock, progressive or techno – it’s a job to meet them and help get them ready to perform.” Over the years, the Yeomans have enjoyed concerts of all genres including Santana, REO Speedwagon, The Beach Boys, Chicago and a favorite, Scythian, for which they’ve traveled all across Ireland to see perform. They’ve also enjoyed the variety of musicians such as Peruvian and classical violinists at the Hotel Bethlehem and folksinger Janice Ian who performed next to the Sun Inn and of course, the polka bands kicking off the festival.

Boyle Construction – Sean Boyle, President: Boyle Construction has been a leader in construction management in the Lehigh Valley since 1977. The company has over 100 construction professionals working to ensure projects are ‘Built Better.’ Their Building Better Together Committee invests in local organizations such as ArtsQuest that help support the lives of people in the community where employees, customers and partners live, work and play. “In my early working years post-college, I would volunteer to help at the Buckeye Tavern stand with some friends selling black diamond steak sandwiches at Musikfest,” commented Sean. “The line for our stand was always long and usually filled with people we knew growing up and from early business years. Even though the summer temperatures and hot grill made for very warm conditions in that stand, they are some of my fondest memories every summer. Connecting with people, serving great food and listening to live music. We had some great times and laughed for hours.” Sean’s father owned a building that backed up to the Sun Inn courtyard. During the 80s, when he was in high school, Sean would help the vendors set up and breakdown, coming back late at night to lock and sweep up. “Musikfest was much smaller in those days. It is amazing to see how much it has grown, and the large area it covers now,” he added.

As a huge Seinfeld fan, Sean was excited to get tickets when he heard the popular comedian was coming to Musikfest as the first comedian on the Steel Stage. He was even able to talk to Seinfeld at the meet and great, an encounter that it is still special to him to this day. “What a great opportunity for many people to get to see their special band or have a connection in an intimate setting like Musikfest,” Sean says. Boyle Construction has been a part of the development of the SteelStacks campus. Their team executed the Visitor Center at SteelStacks presented by St. Luke’s University Health Network’s historic renovation, Levitt Pavilion’s unique band structure and the one-of-a-kind Hoover Mason Trestle. All are landmark projects for the Lehigh Valley. Sean adds, “I remember talking with my team when these projects started that these will be the coolest projects we will ever work on. It is not every day you get the opportunity to transform a campus of this magnitude and make something so special and enjoyed by thousands of people every year. Musikfest and ArtsQuest are such a vital part of our community, driving tourism at all levels of education and entertainment. It is very impressive to see the economic impact they have had on our region, and we are very proud of the part we played in renovating the campus.