The Elkhart County CVB and Friends of the Lerner Presents: Celebration Under The Stars featuring Boyz II Men and The Jacksons

Elkhart, IN (April 16th, 2026) — The City of Elkhart and The Lerner Theatre are thrilled to announce Celebration Under The Stars featuring Boyz II Men and The Jacksons on Saturday, August 29th, 2026 at 7 pm. This free performance, presented by  The Elkhart County CVB and Friends of The Lerner, is a continuation of the groundbreaking outdoor event that blends Elkhart’s musical heritage with a one night, outdoor, festival style concert.

Celebration Under The Stars will continue the tradition of creating a regional destination attraction, celebrating Elkhart’s rich arts heritage, music, entertainment, and commerce, culminating on Elkhart’s Central Green. This festival style concert is an extension of The Lerner Theatre’s ongoing arts and entertainment impact of the region.

“Last year we saw more than 15,000 people come out for Celebration Under the Stars. It was the largest event that’s happened in the city history and completely reimagined our downtown Central Green. Our entire downtown is in a real transformative period and Celebration Under the Stars embodies the new energy of downtown. I’m very thankful to all of the partners who have made this happen and I’m excited to see everybody this summer for our second celebration under the stars.” said Mayor Rod Roberson, City of Elkhart.

This event will continue to showcase Elkhart’s spirit, commitment to placemaking, and tradition of exceeding expectations. 

“The Elkhart County CVB is excited to be the co-presenting sponsors of Celebration Under the Stars along with the Friends of the Lerner. Last year’s concert proved how a powerful downtown Elkhart event could bring together community for an unforgettable night of music. Now we’re bringing two more icons of music to create yet another magical night that will be memorable for residents and visitors and impactful for our downtown businesses,” said Jon Hunsberger, executive director of the Elkhart County CVB.

“The Friends of the Lerner is excited to partner with the City of Elkhart and the Elkhart County CVB on Celebration Under the Stars. It is a great musical event for our community. It will be a wonderful evening in downtown Elkhart with awesome musical acts!” said Ashley Martin, Friends of the Lerner. 

Sponsorships and VIP Packages for Celebration Under the Stars on Central Green will be available. 2025 renewing Sponsors and VIP table holders will be contacted on April 22nd, 2026 to renew before being made available to the general public.

Help us honor a century of The Lerner Theatre while celebrating together beneath the summer sky. Your support not only creates an unforgettable evening, it strengthens and improves our community. To reserve your place or learn about sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Lerner Theatre Box Office at 574-293-4469.

• What: The Elkhart County CVB and Friends of The Lerner Presents: Celebration Under The Stars featuring Boyz II Men and The Jacksons
• When: Saturday, August 29th at 7 pm
• Where: Central Green (across from The Lerner Theatre) 300 S. Main Street in Downtown Elkhart
• Cost: FREE CONCERT. Sponsorships and VIP Packages are available. Please contact The Lerner Theatre Box office or call 574-293-4469 for more information.
• Contact information: www.thelerner.com/

      The Lerner Box Office: (574) 293-4469

About The Lerner Theatre

The Lerner Theatre, an Elkhart landmark, is part of a revival, a new era for the arts, commerce and life in the heart of our community. The Lerner Theatre is a 100-year-old city owned and operated facility, built in 1924. With the completion of an $18-million-dollar renovation in 2011, The Lerner Theatre has truly put the “heart” back in downtown Elkhart. The Lerner reflects this revitalization, preserving the charm of its historic past while emerging as a modern, state-of-the-art performance and event facility.

BACKGROUND ON TALENT

Boyz II Men

Boyz II Men redefined popular R&B and continue to tour with their timeless hits that appeal to fans across all generations. The band has penned and performed some of the most celebrated classics of the past three decades. Music lovers can expect favorites such as “End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love to You,” “One Sweet Day” and “Motownphilly.”

The group’s four GRAMMY® Awards are just the tip of the iceberg. Throughout their 30 plus-year career, Boyz II Men has also won a whopping nine American Music Awards, nine Soul Train Awards, three Billboard Music Awards and a MOBO Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Boyz II Men’s accolades also include receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a Casino Entertainment Award for the group’s acclaimed residency at the Mirage Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, which launched in 2013.

The trio holds the distinction of being the best-selling R&B group of all time, with an astounding 64 million albums sold. The reason is abundantly clear — for the past three decades, Boyz II Men has given fans a rich catalog of hits filled with smooth harmonies and enduring themes and for Boyz II Men, the hits just keep on coming. The group continues to bring its legendary act to stages across the world.

In 2021, Boyz II Men starred in ABC’s “A Very Boy Band Holiday,” “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes,” and “CMT Crossroads Christmas: Brett Young & Friends.” In November 2023, Boyz II Men starred in a national television spot by recreating the iconic Chili’s Baby Back Ribs jingle, which turned into a viral sensation for the next generation.

The trio opened the 2024 NFL season by singing the national anthem for Monday Night Football and performed it again at F1 in Las Vegas last November. Ending the 2024 holiday season Boyz II Men also collaborated with the Kelce brothers for a new Christmas song.

In 2025, the group announced they will be working on a biopic movie and documentary. Most recently they are featured on music from the Disneyland Resort 70th celebration with their rendition of “Rainbow Connection.” As they continue to tour across the world the group just wrapped a sold-out tour run called “The New Edition Way.”

The Jacksons

The Jacksons recently celebrated 50 years as one of the most successful groups in music history. Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, five brothers from Gary, Indiana, known originally as The Jackson 5 and later The Jacksons, rose to fame for their combination of extraordinary musical talent and spectacular choreography. They earned the status of pop royalty in the music world, providing the launching pad for what would become Michael Jackson’s legendary solo career.

The group found international success at Motown in 1969, their first single “I Want You Back” reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their next 3 singles “ABC”, “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There” followed suit, The Jackson 5 literally making music history with 4 debut singles all reaching No. 1. They ultimately scored 17 Top Forty singles on the Hot 100, following with hits such as “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “Dancing Machine”. To date, their Motown recordings alone have sold in excess of 200 million.

In 1976, the group left Motown for Epic Records, and changed their name to The Jacksons. They released five hit albums between 1976 and 1981, including The Jacksons (1976), Destiny (1978) and Triumph (1980), from which they produced the smash singles “Enjoy Yourself”, “Blame It On The Boogie”, “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” and “Can You Feel It.” In 1983, the band performed on “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever”, and subsequently released the Victory album the following year, (which included the Billboard No. 3 hit ‘State Of Shock’ featuring Mick Jagger). When the brothers united for The Victory Tour in 1984, it became the highest-grossing concert series ever staged in the United States.

The Jacksons have become the inspiration for several generations of boy bands, including Backstreet Boys, New Edition, N*SYNC, New Kids on the Block, and more recently, the Jonas Brothers, One Direction, and many more.

In 1980, The Jacksons were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. At the BMI Urban Awards in 2008, The Jacksons were honored as BMI Icons. In 2016, “ABC” joined “I Want You Back” to be inducted into the Recording Academy’s Grammy Hall of Fame.

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