From Niagara Falls, Boston City Hall and the Capital Wheel, to Navy Pier, the U.S. Bank Tower and the Clock Tower Building, more than 35 iconic buildings and landmarks across the U.S. will turn orange in honor of Make Music Day.
The annual global celebration of music occurs each June 21 and features more than 4,500 free outdoor concerts, music lessons, jam sessions and other exciting music-making events in more than 80 U.S. cities. The all-day musical celebration on the summer solstice, which brings people of all ages and skill levels together to make and enjoy music, has become a worldwide phenomenon observed by hundreds of millions of people in 800 cities in 120 countries. All lightings will take place in participating Make Music Day cities and occur on or one day before June 21.
U.S. buildings and landmarks shining orange – a color evoking the sun and the first day of summer – will include:
- Niagara Falls, the Peace Bridge and Electric Tower in Buffalo, NY
- Rundel Memorial Library in Rochester, NY
- Boston City Hall and the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in Boston
- Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge in Worcester, MA
- City Hall in Portland, ME
- Bennington Battle Monument in Bennington, VT
- The Stilts Building in Hartford, CT
- City Hall and the Chase Municipal Building in Waterbury, CT
- One Liberty Place, FMC Tower and Cira Centre in Philadelphia
- Gulf Tower in Pittsburgh
- The Capital Wheel at National Harbor in suburban Washington DC
- The Parthenon and Gateway Bridge in Nashville
- The Block in Chattanooga
- Terminal Tower in Cleveland
- Navy Pier and Prudential Tower in Chicago
- The Domes, Pfister Hotel and Milwaukee County Historical Society in Milwaukee
- Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, WI
- I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis
- Main Street Square in Rapid City, SD
- The buildings at Courthouse Square in Denton, TX
- Downtown Railroad Arches, Missouri Bridge and Prospect Bridge in El Paso, TX
- U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles
- Clock Tower Building in Santa Monica, CA
- Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, CA
- The fountain at Hillcrest Park in Fullerton, CA
- City Hall in San Jose, CA
- Union Street Railroad Bridge in Salem, OR
Additionally, famous buildings and landmarks in participating cities worldwide including the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum in Brazil will join their U.S. counterparts in shining orange in honor of Make Music Day.
Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music Day celebrates and promotes the natural music maker in all of us, regardless of ability. Reimagining their cities and towns as stages, musicians – from bucket drummers and opera singers to hip-hop artists and marching bands – pour onto streets, parks, plazas, porches, rooftops, gardens and other public spaces to celebrate, create and share their music with friends, neighbors and strangers. From Usher-themed carpool karaoke in the singer’s hometown and an airport spoon jam to shower singing in a bustling downtown square and a “Street Studio” in a cow pasture, Make Music Day in the U.S. will also offer an impressive lineup of quirky and one-of-a-kind events.
U.S. cities hosting major Make Music Day celebrations include New York City, Los Angeles, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Hartford, Madison, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Philadelphia, Salem (OR) and Nashville.
Launched in France in 1982 as the Fête de la Musique, Make Music Day is presented in the U.S. by The NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the nonprofit Make Music Alliance. In addition to major citywide celebrations, Make Music Day will also include smaller festivities in other communities nationwide.
All Make Music Day events are free and open to the public. Participants who wish to perform, or to host musical events, may register at MakeMusicDay.org.