Hometown Holidays: Singing the Funkadelic Blues

Update, 2 p.m.:

Hometown Holidays visitors who hoped to make it funky on Sunday night might be singing the blues after Friday afternoon's announcement that George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic will not perform.

But singing the blues isn't the worst thing when you're singing along with Taj Mahal, who has been tapped to replace Clinton and his band.

Original post, 12:01 p.m.:

If you want the funk, Rockville Town Center is the place to be on Sunday night.

Rockville’s 23rd annual Hometown Holidays will welcome George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic as the headlining act of the city’s three-day street festival, which begins Saturday with food and entertainment, culminates with a Memorial Day parade on Monday and packs much more in between.

The summer kickoff draws more than 60,000 people to the heart of the city each year.

This year’s Hometown Holidays features more than 40 bands and entertainers and includes a kids stage, an acoustic stage and a freestyle dance stage, with festivities from 1 to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday in Town Center.

Music and performances start at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Austin, TX-based independent pop-rock artist Bob Schneider, known for his sometimes darkly humorous lyrics, headlines the festival’s first night along with local favorites the Lloyd Dobler Effect at 7 p.m. on the main stage.

Popular local roots rock band The Nighthawks will play the Plaza Stage at 5:30 p.m.

Rockville 11 will bring live coverage of the festivities to cable viewers with a “Hometown Holidays Live!” broadcast from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Dubbed “the Godfather of Funk,” Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic are scheduled to bring their legendary party and such hits as "Give up the Funk," "Flashlight," "Atomic Dog" and "Not Just Knee Deep,” to the main stage on Sunday, following Baltimore-bred blues genre-bending openers The Kelly Bell Band at 6:30 p.m.

Funk band Superland—a College Park favorite that started at the University of Maryland, Dave Matthews tribute band Crowded Streets and Northern Virginia trio Melodime will also perform on Sunday.

Booths from Rockville restaurants will line Maryland Avenue from 1 to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday offering a “Taste of Rockville,” sponsored by the Rockville Chamber of Commerce and Community Ministries of Rockville. Food tickets cost $1.25 each.

An art and craft festival from 1 to 8 p.m. on Satruday and Sunday will feature one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted art and crafts in glass, wood, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, photography, painting, mixed media and more.

Nonprofits from in and around Rockville will be on hand from 1 to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday to highlight their work and offer information about how to get involved.

will hold a teens-only party on Saturday and—just announced—also on Sunday. Line forms no earlier than 6 p.m. on Gibbs Street and the party goes from 7 p.m. to midnight with DJ Xta-C on Saturday and DJ KSef on Sunday. Tickets are $5, or $20 for a limited number of VIP tickets. Email info@rockvillerooftop.com for guaranteed and lounge seating. Attendees must be age 14 to 17 and have valid student ID.

Ride and Stride will feature 12-mile and 28-mile bike rides and an untimed 5K run for families from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday. Registration is required and costs $30 in advance or $35 on Sunday.

The bike and run start and finish at . The annual event raises money for the Rockville Recreation Fund to provide financial aid for children to participate in city camps and recreation programs and for the Rockville Bike Fund to provide safety gear, helmets, recycled bikes and safety programs for children.

For more traditional holiday fare, the city will hold its 67th annual Memorial Day ceremony and parade on Monday at Rockville Town Square. The ceremony will feature a performance by the Rockville Concert Band and Chorus at 9 a.m., followed by a wreath-laying ceremony and 21-gun salute and presentation of colors by American Legion Post 86 at 9:30 a.m.

Bob Royce, a retired pharmacist who served in the Army's 87th Infantry Division, will serve as the grand marshal for the parade, which begins at 10:30 a.m.

 at Martins Lane and North Washington Street. View a map of the parade route here.

ABC 7 News meteorologist Brian van de Graaff will serve as emcee of the parade, which will feature drill teams, marching bands, community groups, military units and more.

Town Center is just two blocks from the Rockville Metro station. Parking is available in city garages and surface lots throughout Town Center. Click here for a map.

To learn more about Hometown Holidays see the city’s Web site at http://www.rockvillemd.gov, watch Rockville 11 for live coverage and check back with Rockville Patch throughout the weekend for coverage from Town Center.