One of the biggest annual events on the city calendar in Stockbridge is back after a two-year hiatus.

BridgeFest is scheduled for Saturday, September 24, from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m. at the city’s amphitheater. It will be the first time the city has hosted the event since 2019 with the last two falling victim to COVID-19 policies.

So this will be the first time BridgeFest can be staged in the city’s biggest and newest entertainment venue, and organizers are taking full advantage of it.

“There is free admission,” said city spokesperson Shana Thornton. “People who have never attended one of our paid shows can come in and visit the amphitheater.”

There will be live music, with the main act being George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic.

Other acts include Klymaxx, Derek Smith, City Band and Vintage Vixens. Performances will rotate all day on the amphitheater stage.

Plenty of food trucks and carnival rides will be on site, along with a wide variety of vendors including some local nonprofits and health-related organizations, according to Thornton.

Parking will also be free, and the amphitheater parking lot next to City Hall will likely be enough for all visitors, although Thornton said Stockbridge Elementary School can be used for overflow parking and some attendees park at the Merle Manders Conference Center and take the short walk when the weather is nice.

This will also be the first BridgeFest in which the Stockbridge Police Department is on hand to make it safe and secure. Thornton said some of the department’s command staff will be there to meet and greet local citizens.

“The food trucks are local vendors, so you are supporting the local economy,” said Thornton. “But the music is free and so is the mingling. It’s going to be a beautiful fall day. Bring the kids and come on out.”