Why They Keep Coming Back

by Linda Brain Beck

[Originally published in the Summer 2026 issue of Mount Gretna Magazine. View the complete issue to experience this story in its original design, along with additional photographs and content.]

Photo courtesy of Gretna Theatre

Over the decades, many artistic groups and performers have graced Mount Gretna’s performing arts venues with their talent. Throughout the summer, various festivals bring residents and visitors together to enjoy good music in the company of good friends. Discover what brings local and top-name entertainers back to Gretna’s stages again and again. 

Heritage Festival

Bart Briody doesn’t have to travel far when he plays with his band, Galbraith Briody and Friends.

“In all fairness, I never left Mount Gretna,” he says.

They band plays regularly around the area and will return to the Heritage Festival at the Campmeeting Tabernacle on Saturday, Aug. 8.

While he lives in Lebanon, Bart’s family has been in and around Gretna since 1955. They currently own the Timbers Restaurant and Dinner Theater.

“I played at the very first Art Show 50 years ago. We played on the steps of the Chautauqua Community Building (now the Hall of Philosophy),” he says.

In 1986, Bart and his friends, Scott Galbraith and Andy Roberts, formed the band Galbraith Briody and Friends.

Bart plays the harmonica and sings. “They’re the serious musicians. I’m like the dancing monkey. The other guys make me look good,” he says.

Bart wondered at first how audiences would respond to the music. “How does Campmeeting feel about a nine-piece rock band? Having said that, the turnout was really good, and the people are really involved. That makes it easy for us.”

Larry McKenna’s Mount Gretna Summer Concerts

That sentiment is shared by Caitlin Dailey, a returning performer to Larry McKenna’s Mount Gretna Summer Concerts, also at the Tabernacle. Caitlin has performed in multiple shows and will return this summer, singing with three others for the July 11 show, “The Music of Four Fabulous Female Icons,” which will feature music by Carole King, the Fifth Dimension, Fleetwood Mac, and more.

“Getting to meet him (Larry) was the best,” Caitlin says. When they first met, “he was going on and on about Mount Gretna. I said, ‘Sure, there’s this magical land called Mount Gretna.’”

Caitlin lives in Philadelphia and has been charmed by the Gretna community. “Coming from the city, it’s like an oasis,” she says.

Performances, Caitlin says, are “rain or shine. Whether it’s cold, the audience will be there … You have everyone within the Tabernacle, and then you see everyone on their porches. Am I in a storybook? Is this for real?

“Heck, yeah. Anytime, I can get to Gretna, sure,” she says.

Mount Gretna Bible Festival

Linda Tedford, founder and conductor of the Susquehanna Chorale, agrees with Caitlin about the magic of Gretna. “When we first moved here, we had little kids. We fell in love with the whole place, The Jigger Shop Ice Cream Parlor, the playground, just everything,” says Linda, who hails from Palmyra.

Even though the 40-member Chorale typically doesn’t perform outdoors, she eagerly agreed for them to do so at the first Mount Gretna Bible Festival in 1993. The group has returned every year since.

Of the Tabernacle stage, she says, “It’s outdoors, but it’s not really outdoors. The acoustics are actually pretty good.”

The biggest challenge is the weather.

“But, whatever the weather, we do it cheerfully and just love being at Gretna,” Linda says.

She remembers one concert when a thunderstorm knocked out the power, including the lights. They switched to singing hymns, while someone held their cellphone for the accompanist to see.

“The whole atmosphere was that we’ll just make the best of it,” she says.

This year, the Chorale will return on Aug. 23 for Linda’s last time directing them.

“I am stepping down as conductor of the Chorale,” she says. “Although my contract ends June 30, I said I would love my last performance to be at Gretna.”

The Original Mount Gretna Cicada Festival

The Original Mount Gretna Cicada Festival, held at the Mount Gretna Playhouse, expands its reach to include nationally and internationally recognized artists.

“When groups come here, they don’t know what to expect; however, when they come, they love it,” says organizer Ceylon Leitzel.

The Cicada Festival typically offers different programming each year, but also has some returning crowd favorites.

One group, The Bronx Wanderers, first appeared in 2011 and now performs annually in Gretna.

The band has a Las Vegas residency and typically plays approximately 250 shows a year.  They will perform in Gretna on June 12 and 13.

“We wouldn’t cancel Mt. Gretna for anything,” says band member Vincent John.

“This year, we’re bringing our nine-piece big band show. We’re going to use local string and horn players for the first time,” Vincent says. “We’re very excited to incorporate the local community into our Vegas show.”

The Lords of 52nd Street will make their fourth appearance at the Cicada Festival on Aug. 3. The band consists of Liberty DeVitto, Russell Javors, and Richie Cannata, all members of Billy Joel’s original band who recreate the sound of Joel’s ’70s and ’80s classic hits.

“The crowds are always extraordinary,” says Andy Gilmartin, the band’s agent. “It’s an open-air venue with good sound and solid audiences. We love Ceylon and Gretna.”

Gretna Music

Jeremiah Shaw (cello) and Joseph Maile (violin), members of the Telegraph Quartet, echo that love for Mount Gretna. The Telegraph Quartet is scheduled to perform June 13-15 as part of this season’s Gretna Music programs.

“My connection to Gretna is sentimental, and knowing about all the great music that was performed on that stage over the past five decades and being part of that history has a very special place in my heart,” Jeremiah says.

Jeremiah remembers visiting Gretna “many times as a kid” with his father, Clyde Shaw, who played cello with the internationally-acclaimed Audubon Quartet. “I grew up running through the village and playing at the playgrounds,” he says.

“Certainly, performing in the kind of humidity and rain that sometimes assails the Playhouse is not without its challenges,” Joseph says, “and yet, that cozy feeling of family that Gretna exudes is a big reason we hope to continue coming back, with our own (violist Pei-Ling Lin and my) family in tow. That includes our now 4-year-old son Felix, who has already started asking us when we’ll be coming back to get ice cream at the Jigger Shop and ride his bike around the neighborhood!”

Any challenges “are easy to overlook once you realize and feel how attentive and appreciative the audience is, when we all come together and share a beautiful evening over the magic of chamber music,” Jeremiah says.

Gretna Theatre

The Playhouse also hosts returning performers to the Gretna Theatre stage at Mount Gretna Playhouse. One of them, Jeff Coon, joins five other performers and a 17-piece band on Friday, Sept. 4, for the annual Summer Club.

“We love that there are so many folks who have made the Summer Club a part of their final summer weekend since 2019. We always look forward to seeing familiar faces in the audience and so appreciate the loyal support that Gretna audiences have shared with us,” Jeff says.

Gretna is more than just a typical venue for those who return to its stages. It’s often more like a homecoming, with enthusiastic crowds in a quintessentially Gretna environment.

Linda Brain Beck’s diverse career spans corporate and academic realms. She teaches communication courses for HACC, Lebanon Valley College’s MBA program, and Dale Carnegie. A seasoned speaker, she delivers keynotes and has given a TEDx presentation. With her husband, Ed, she co-manages a communications and leadership training company.