The 9th annual Day of Music Fullerton, held on Friday, June 21st, was a testament to the vibrant community spirit of Fullerton. This one-day music festival, organized by the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation (The Fox People) and a dedicated committee of volunteers, was a culmination of months of planning and coordination. As part of the national and international “Make Music Day,” celebrated only on June 21st to mark the summer solstice, this year’s Day of Music Fullerton was the largest in its history, featuring almost 40 venues and 140 musical artists. This made it the biggest participating city in Southern California for Make Music Day.

This year’s Day of Music event in downtown Fullerton was a celebration of musical diversity, featuring free music in various locations such as restaurants, bars, the Downtown Museum Plaza, and retail spots. What made 2024 stand out was the reopening of the Fox Fullerton Theatre to the public after being closed for five years. The theatre welcomed an estimated 3,000+ attendees throughout the day, showcasing performances from a wide range of bands like School of Rock from Tustin, the Troy High School Jazz and Orchestra, The Snappy Tappers, Chimera, the Tragic Radicals, Jessica Kaczmarek Band, Generation 80’s, and Bardeux, who closed the event with an impressive sound and light show!

“It was great to have so many people see the progress that has been made on the Fox Theatre’s construction while enjoying a wide variety of music all day,” says Day of Music Fullerton Committee Member Todd Huffman. “This is why the Fox was saved, and it’s one of the ways it will be used when ultimately completed – putting smiles on faces.”

The addition of Hillcrest Park’s Big Bowl included Chris “Bubba Blues” Clerc’s group of blues bands, such as The Regatta, Brad Lewis and the Lazy Bastards, The Tony Lopez Band, Mark Sells, and Bubba and the Big, Big, Bad Blues.

“I have long believed that the city should utilize the Big Bowl at Hillcrest for musical events, and this event was the perfect opportunity to showcase its potential,” says guitarist and Day of Music Fullerton Committee Member Chris “Bubba Blues” Clerc. “I think we’ve proven that there should be more music at the bowl.”

The Fullerton Downtown Museum Plaza served as the main hub for the event, featuring food trucks, Kidz Korner, vendors, sponsors, and more music. The musical lineup included performances such as the National Anthem by Noelle Lidyoff, the Orange Empire Men’s Choir, Chad Martini, Feather Flower, Legends of Rock, Ganda, The Split, Catrina, John Krause and the Goers, as well as The Fullerton Flashers and Brown Sugah to close out the event.

Wait, but there’s more! Music was all over town, with the main library hosting performances by Audrey Gillespie and the Altar Billies. Other venues such as hair salons, comic book stores, skateboard shops, and popular spots for great food and good times like the Back Alley, Bourbon Street, the High Horse Saloon, Roscoes, Mulberry Street, Callahan, Let it Brie, the Twisted Vine, Pour Company, Fullerton Brew Co., The Olde Ship and more also featured live music. Even the Elks Lodge had performances by No Band of Old Men, Bucket, Eric Leach, and the Futuristic. There were too many bands to mention all of them, and all of the performances were free!

The streets of downtown Fullerton were alive with the sound of music as people strolled from one venue to another. The event not only provided a day of musical enjoyment but also significantly boosted the business of local restaurants and bars, with some reporting over double their normal Friday business.

This year’s event received valuable marketing support from Spectrum Cable, with almost 600 TV commercials promoting it. Additionally, outlets like KABC Channel 7, Fullerton Observer, and the Orange County Register provided coverage of the event.