Erlanger's biggest annual block party is back for another round, and this year's Summer Sendoff comes with a full slate of live music, a coney eating contest, and a fireworks finale set for 9:30 p.m. The free festival takes over Silverlake Park on Saturday, September 19, running from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., with a performance lineup posted this week by the City of Erlanger. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, fireworks were associated with 11 reported deaths and an estimated 14,700 injuries in 2024. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported eight fireworks-related deaths and an estimated 9,700 injuries in 2023.
According to a lineup graphic shared by the City of Erlanger on Facebook, the evening lineup includes Indianapolis band Dream Slice, a martial arts demonstration from Gary Williams, and the Wonderdog Show. The schedule also features a coney eating contest, a fire performer, a DJ, and headliner Brother Maven, who closes out the music portion ahead of the fireworks show. The festival is sponsored by Arlinghaus Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning.
The gates for the main evening festival open at 4 p.m., but the day actually starts much earlier. As reported by LINK nky, the Summer Sendoff 5K Run/Walk, sponsored by Silverlake “The Family Place,” kicks off at 8 a.m., giving runners and walkers hours to spare before the festival grounds fill up again for the evening's entertainment.
Runners Can Still Register for the Morning 5K
Registration details posted on RunSignup show early-bird pricing for the 5K was set at $25 per runner through August 1, with the fee including an official race t-shirt. Race age groups reportedly range from a kids' fun run for ages 9 and under up to adult divisions through age 70 and over, making the morning run a family affair before the block party even begins.
Beyond the run and the main stage, city officials say the festival grounds will also include food and drink vendors and local craft booths. The event information cited here does not describe Silverlake Park's acreage, facilities, or maintenance responsibility. Parking details are not included in the event information. City records show that Erlanger solicited bids for a Silverlake Park Fence Project that included installation of a four-board horse fence.
Summer Sendoff Marks Erlanger's End of Summer
Summer Sendoff is Erlanger's end-of-summer celebration and a block party, with free activities and entertainment planned across the park's grounds.
This year's headliner, Brother Maven, is a Nashville-based rock and soul band fronted by Daniel Mason, alongside lead guitarist JP Presley, bassist Jeremy McCoy, and drummer Joel Burns. The band released its debut full-length album, “Twenty Twenty One,” in 2021. Opening act Dream Slice, meanwhile, is an R&B, funk, and alternative rock band from Indianapolis whose members knew one another from childhood, according to the Towne Post Network; the group performs a mix of original songs and radio covers.
Coney Contest Returns
The coney eating contest has become one of the festival's popular novelty traditions, and the contest returns as part of this year's Summer Sendoff.
Summer Sendoff is an end-of-summer celebration and block party. Erlanger Mayor Jessica Fette took office in 2019 and was recently elected chair of the Kenton County Planning and Development Services management board for the 2026–2027 term, according to the Northern Kentucky Tribune.
