The annual event is free and family-friendly and will run from 5 until about 10 p.m.

It’s become an annual Fourth of July tradition.

The journey started back in 2010 after Pat Hackett’s father passed away.

Living in California, he knew he’d be returning to Warren to bury his father and thought “let’s somehow make a positive out of this sort of negative situation.”

He offered to play a few songs at Snuffy’s and before long 10-12 people wanted to play too.

From there, the Allegheny River Monsters were born.

“It’s a collaboration with Warren County people,” Scott Taylor said. “Basically everybody is Warren County. … We hold the group as a collective. It’s a collective.”

“It’s basically my phone book,” he said, “people I’ve known my whole life. … Friends that love music.”

It includes people with county connections that come from all over — Maryland, North Carolina, California, to be a part of it. And it has included performers as young as eight-years-old to performers in their 60s.

“These folks, a couple dozen people in the band,” Hackett said, “only about a half dozen are actually working professionals. Most of these people are just my friends that I’ve known over the years.”

“And it’s changed over the years,” Hackett said. “From 2011 to now, I don’t even know what that roster would look like. It might be 100 people. Once you do it you’re kinda hooked because it is so fun. You see that sense of community.”

Tuesday’s performers have been practicing on their own for months. They came together for a couple rehearsals at a location offered by Betts Industries.

“The rehearsals are to me just as fun as the gig,” Hackett said, “because that’s my people.”

Taylor said the music is a mix of hard rock, classic rock and country.

“We try to play things that people actually like,” Hackett said.

Taylor said last year’s event drew 3,500 to 4,000 people.

“Tom (Pellegrino) has been amazing with us down here,” he said. “The 10 acres that Tom has down here, he is setting it up for community use.”

“What this event shows is our community,” Pellegrino said.

“It’s like a WAHS class reunion only of all classes every year,” Hackett said. “It’s super family-friendly.”

Taylor said that one of their teachers — Mr. Eldridge — has told them he plans to come.

“It’s rough around the edges but it was built that way,” Hackett acknowledged. “The lovely thing is that people accept it and know what it is. It’s a party for the community.”

Taylor said that while admission is free, they do request that no alcohol be brought in but rather purchased on-site.

“It’s like a family,” Hackett said. “The band is like an extended family. We really enjoy each other’s company.

“We’re able to take that sort of good feeling and turn around and give it to the whole county.”