Free concert also offers food trucks, children’s inflatables

WEST MILTON—The annual Rock the Hill event will return to West Milton Municipal Park on Saturday, Aug. 17. It will offer food trucks, beer, and wine sales, and free performances by Indiana country act Shot of Whiskey and Dayton-based rock group Stranger.

“It’s just a free community event to get people out and around friends and family,” West Milton Village Council Member Sarah Gregory said. “It’s something to do in our community, to see downtown West Milton, and to enjoy a summer day.”

The event will run from 5 to 9 p.m. at the West Milton Municipal Park. Wine will be available from Old Mason Winery, and food trucks will include Timeless Tacos, Buckeye Burger, Clarks Pizza, Wood Street BBQ, Lumpia Queen, Loaded Potato, Stillwater Tree Kettle Corn, Dennis Delk Homemade Ice Cream, and Kona Ice.

Shot of Whiskey will perform at 5 p.m., Gregory said, and Stranger will perform at approximately 7 p.m.

“The opening band is called Shot of Whiskey,” she said. “They’re from Indiana. The other band that we’re having is Stranger; they play all over the Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus area.”

“There’s a beer tent, and then wine will be from Old Mason Winery, which is local to West Milton,” Gregory said.

A family-friendly event, Rock the Hill also features a free children’s inflatable area that will be set up near the playground at the park.

“We like having stuff for the kids to do,” Gregory said. “There is a kids’ area where the playground is at the park. We’ll have bounce houses, and there will probably be face painting.”

The Rock the Hill event also includes a raffle, with prize drawings as a reward for shopping in downtown West Milton. Participants must be present during the Rock the Hill concert to win.

“There’s also a raffle going on,” Gregory said. People shop locally and take their receipts to ReVive It or the Village Peddler. For every $10 spent, they get a ticket to the prize drawings.”

Gregory said Rock the Hill is now in its fourth year and is sponsored by local businesses and organizations, including Premier Health, Abbey Credit Union, The Duke Foundation, Miami County Visitors and Convention Bureau, and Flawless Signs.

The event is organized by local non-profit group Project Revival.

“It’s a non-profit focused on hosting events in downtown West Milton,” Gregory said. “We’re focused on community development and helping our small local businesses.”

Gregory said approximately 2,000 people attend the Rock the Hill event each year, and guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets to the concert.

“It’s funny how much it’s grown,” she said. The first year, it was three food trucks and a couple of local people.”

“It’s gotten so much bigger,” Gregory said. “I think it’s great. I have fun, and I think it’s really cool we get to do it.”

“We’re going to do it again next year,” she said. “We already have our bands booked.”