The Sherman Area Chamber of Commerce will present the inaugural Sherman Music Festival from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday.

It is one of many Sherman area events the Sherman Area Chamber of Commerce is offering throughout the year. In the past, the chamber has hosted a spring garden tour, holiday festivities, Light-The-Village, Sherman Day and others. Most recently, the Decorate The Cow Contest was held with community members purchasing a plywood cow silhouette and decorating it.

Early in 2022, The Chamber distributed a survey to determine community interests. “Attending a music festival” was one of the leading desires.

The Sherman Music Festival is sponsored by The Cooler Cafe and Grille; Triple E MFG and Design and the village of Sherman.

Opening the day’s festival at noon will be The Johnny Smooth Duo. The band is a collaboration of singer/guitarist John Eberhart and Timm Reasbeck, both of Warren, Pa. They offer a wide assortment of instrumental and vocal tunes, arranged from familiar songs of the past, and those written by the duo.

The second performance at 1:15 p.m. will be Adam McKillip, who has been gracing the area stages for more than 10 years. Being multi-instrumental and drawing inspiration from musicians such as Damien Rice, Chris Thile and Sam Beam, he has explored a range of genres in his career, anywhere from rock and pop, to bluegrass and roots styles. He has been involved in a handful of projects, including Wyldwood, Sweet Ass Cream Corn and West Wood Revival. Currently, he performs solo and with his bands, Smilo & the Ghost and The Probables. Adam was a Chautauqua Lake Idol finalist and has opened for the 10,000 Maniacs, Blessid Union of Souls, and Dan & Shay.

Performing at 2:30 p.m. will be Bill Ward and company. Ward performs throughout the area and has been prevalent for many years within the acoustic/folk concert landscape. He is an entertainer, songwriter and promotor of many other musicians in the Chautauqua County region. He has accommodated music and songwriting workshops for adults and young people. He is the host of All Things Acoustic, a radio broadcast heard throughout the area.

Beginning the early evening program at 4:45 p.m. will be Derek Davis. Davis is an experienced, professional musician who has played with many bands across the country, including local groups Noisegate, HDP and Entropys End. Davis’ experience has allowed him to perform in many different styles of music. He chooses to portray that in his shows by playing a wide variety of genres. A Derek Davis show is likely to include oldies, old and new country, classic rock, new rock, alternative and more.

Closing out the festival program from 7 to 9 p.m. will be Pedro and the Smooth Cats covering a variety of American music styles, including country rock, blues, and R&B. The band has four members: Singer, sax player, keyboardist Pete Howard is a 35-year veteran of the Western New York music scene. He was voted the Buffalo Music Award for top sax player in 1999. His music has been part of numerous soundtracks and TV programs. He is a Fredonia native, currently teaching ELA at North Chautauqua Catholic School. Guitarist Greg Lay led the renowned Native American blues band Red Rhythm for more than 30 years until the band’s recent retirement. Fredonia native Doug VanDette has drummed in the area for most of his life. He has worked with numerous bands, most notably Red Rhythm, Doctor Z and the Blues Remedy, Hooman, and Fast Horses. Jeff White of Jamestown is a veteran bass player and songwriter who has worked with some iconic Jamestown bands, including the Rockin Rick and the Homewreckers, Diving Duck Blues Band, and The Jimmytown Rockers. He recently retired from Jamestown Scientific.

During the festival, there will be food vendors, craft sales, and a wine tasting booth. Cost of the festival is $10. Chairs are encouraged, but coolers will be discouraged.

The festival will be held at the location of one of the event’s sponsors: The Cooler Bar & Grille.

For more information, visit shermanny.org.