The Allentown Village Initiative (TAVI) is happy to welcome back the “ManalaPans,” an 18-piece steel pan drum ensemble, for a free concert on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 3 pm behind Allentown Methodist Church, 23 Church Street, Allentown, NJ. The concert is also the first ever “Brearley Birthday Bash” celebrating the 279th birthday of David Brearley, an Allentown resident and attorney who served as an advisor to George Washington in the Revolutionary War and later wrote part of the U.S. Constitution and served as New Jersey’s first chief justice.

The ensemble will perform island favorites on the lawn behind the church – attendees are welcome to bring a picnic; TAVI will have hotdogs available and provide complimentary birthday cake. The concert’s rain date is Saturday, June 1, 2024 at 3 pm in the same location.

The ManalaPans, under the direction of David Geltch, showcase advanced high school music students from local school districts, including Upper Freehold Regional, on professional hand-hammered steel pan drums. TAVI is bringing the full ensemble to Allentown to celebrate the students’ accomplishments as part of its “Allentown Arts” program, made possible through the generosity of our community as well as a grant from Monmouth Arts, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners. 

The Allentown Village Initiative (TAVI) is a volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose focus is on local history education and historic preservation, natural resource protection, economic development, and the arts and culture. ?A quaint and quiet town of 1,800 residents set apart from the bustle of urban New Jersey, Allentown is conveniently located just minutes from Exit 7a on the New Jersey Turnpike, one hour south of New York City, and less than an hour north of Philadelphia. For more information about this and other events, visit www.allentownvinj.org  

Last Updated: 05/01/24