Guy Lombardo at the Amity Inn in Erie PA

Guy Lombardo photo courtesy of Tom DiLuzio.

Band leader Guy Lombardo was in town on March 20, 1946 to help Father Francis J. Schlindwein break ground for the new Saint Boniface School, 9363 Wattsburg Road, just south of Erie on Route 8. Father Schlindwein brought all sorts of celebrities to Erie, and knew many musicians and movie stars. He met Guy Lombardo in New York City in 1943.

After the ceremony at St. Boniface, Guy Lombardo had dinner at the Amity Inn, 1334 West 26th Street in Erie, PA, with local dignitaries. The men in the photo above include (from left to right): Erie Mayor Charlie Barber, Father Schlindwein, Guy Lombardo and Joseph Ferraro. Ferraro owned the Amity Inn. The identity of the woman seated at the table is not known.

Guy Lombardo popularized the song "Auld Lang Syne" and his band appeared in New Year's Eve performances in the early days of television.

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Rainbow Gardens at Waldameer Park, Erie, PA

Rainbow Gardens has held many events over the past eighty plus years, everything from concerts, dances, antique shows, ethnic festivals and craft shows. The venue is located in Millcreek Township, Erie County, PA, on the grounds of Waldameer Park and Water World. The park has entrances on West 8th Street and on Peninsula Drive.

Rainbow Gardens was built around 1925. The roof of Rainbow Gardens collapsed under the weight of a heavy snowstorm just before Christmas in 1950, causing the cancellation of four Christmas and New Year dances. (There was also a destructive fire at a different building at Waldameer Park, the Hofbrau German restaurant, in 1941.)

Some concerts at Rainbow Gardens include:
Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, May 23, 1927
Fletcher Henderson and his orchestra performed around 1928
Tal Henry and his North Carolinians, August 4, 1930
Duke Ellington & his Cotton Club Orchestra with Ivy Anderson, Sept. 10, 1931
Fats Waller and his orchestra performed for 6,000 people on April 25, 1936
Freddy Bergin with Mary Tudor, Oct. 17, 1936
Tommy Reynolds and his orchestra, May 22, 1942
Dick Stabile and his orchestra featuring Gracie Barrie, Nov. 26, 1942
Les Brown and his orchestra, December 5, 1942
Jack Teegarden performed around December, 1942
Richard Himber, April 24, 1943
Buddy Rich and his orchestra, July 6, 1946
Ina Ray Hutton and her orchestra, July 17, 1946
Carmen Cavallaro and his orchestra, July 9, 1947
Tex Beneke and his Glen Miller orchestra, Aug. 22, 1947
Gene Parlette and his orchestra, July 12, 1952
Les Brown and his Band of Renown, July 14, 1952
Stan Kenton, August 8, 1952
CJ Bri, February 13, 1970 Sweetheart Hop ad
Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, May 13, 1973
Maynard Ferguson, August 7, 1975
The Moonlighters
The Pulse and Friction, Nov. 13, 1981
Generic Beat 1985 (Battle of the Bands)
Generic Beat 1986 (show sponsored by WSEG-FM)
Shok Paris, Dirty Looks, Blackout, Rex and Thunder, Friday, March 7 (1987?)
Ronnie James Dio, April 25, 1997

This is going to be a long list. I will add more dates as I find them. Feel free to add a comment with the dates of concerts you have attended at Rainbow Gardens in Erie, PA.

Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com