The WesBanco Community Event Series at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre will include a YO Nights! concert series designed to support downtown businesses as well as entertain.

The YO Nights! initiative is a collaboration between JAC Management Group and the city of Youngstown administration focused on strengthening the connection among Wean Park, the amphitheater and the downtown business community through coordinated events and promotions.

“We were trying to figure out a way to really make sure that the downtown businesses are plugged into our community event series, and we wanted to figure out the best way to drive business to all of our amazing downtown businesses and bars and restaurants,” said Jordan Ryan, vice president of JAC Management Group. “They get a lot of business from our larger national shows, but how do we plug them into our community event series?”

JAC worked with Youngstown Special Events Coordinator David Labra, who approached downtown businesses to see who was interested in participating and also worked on the lineup for each YO Nights! event.

Nine downtown businesses — Twisted Roots, The Federal, V2, Varsity Club, Draught House, Casa di Canzonetta, Avalon Downtown, The Social and Penguin City Brewing Company — enlisted in the program, and funding from WesBanco enables their participation at no charge.

‘They’re going to be able to come in, sell their own food. We’re not taking a cut,” Ryan said. “They get to keep all the proceeds of that. And the downtown businesses will get a portion of the beverage sales that we’re selling while we’re there.”

The seven YO Nights! offerings will feature Y-town Artists on June 20, RDNA on July 2, Geo C & tha Storm on July 17, No Funk No Justice on Aug. 7 and the Rick Ward Project on Aug. 21 with performers to be announced on Aug. 14 and Sept. 4.

There will be a $5 admission charge for YO Nights! However, YSU students and attendees ages 20 and younger are admitted free as well as anyone who patronizes a downtown business before the event and arrives with a drink in a DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area) cup.

“We’re really encouraging people, ‘Hey, come down early, go to the downtown business that the takeover is (for) because there’s a preparty and a postparty at these places, get your DORA cup, walk down to the amphitheater with your DORA cup, and you get in for free,” Ryan said.

Including the WesBanco series, events at the Covelli Centre and amphitheater, the YLIVE concerts at Stambaugh Stadium and JAC’s programming at the DeYor Performing Arts Center, there will be at least one JAC-affiliated event every week from June 6 through September, except for the first weekend in August, when the Greater Youngstown Italian Fest takes place downtown.

Other events released Friday include the annual Youngstown Wine and Jazz concert on July 25 (performers to be announced) and the Non-Violence Parade & Rally at the amphitheater and Wean Park on Oct. 4.

The series also will include a drone show on June 19 as part of the Youngstown Juneteenth Cultural Festival from June 19 to 21.

“The city of Youngstown had, for the last few years at least, had a fireworks show (during the festival), and they were approached by a company to maybe change that to a drone show, so we’re moving that to the amphitheater,” Ryan said. “We’re going to put a sound system on the amphitheater stage, and it should be really neat. It should be a lot of fun.”