Lodi Fall Festival 2026 to Honor Rascals Legend Eddie Brigati with Musical Tribute and Key to the City

The annual Lodi Fall Festival on Saturday, October 24, 2026, will feature a special celebration honoring Eddie Brigati, the Garfield-raised singer, songwriter, and founding member of the legendary 1960s rock-and-soul group the Rascals. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will receive the Key to the City from Lodi Mayor Luna and the Borough Council during an afternoon of live music, festival activities, and a musical tribute to the Rascals. The special musical program begins at 2:00 pm with a performance by Altered State, featuring classic rock and roll favorites followed by a tribute to Brigati with the Garfield High School Choir. The Lodi Fall Festival will also feature additional live music, food, beer and wine, vendors, children’s activities, and fireworks. This year’s tribute is especially timely. In September 2026, Eddie and his older brother David Brigati were inducted individually into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, adding another important honor to the family’s musical history. For Bergen County residents, the October 24 celebration offers an opportunity to recognize an artist whose career has deep local roots and whose music became part of the soundtrack of the 1960s. Eddie and David Brigati: From Garfield to Rock and Roll History Bergen County has good reason to be proud of its place in rock and roll history. Eddie and David Brigati grew up in Garfield and went on to contribute to some of the most memorable American popular music of the 1960s. David, the older brother, achieved national success as a vocalist with Joey Dee and the Starliters. The group’s 1962 number-one hit, “Peppermint Twist,” helped popularize the Twist dance craze, while its performances at Manhattan’s Peppermint Lounge attracted widespread attention. Eddie followed his brother into the music business, eventually joining the Starliters before becoming a founding member of the Young Rascals, later known simply as the Rascals. The new group, consisting of Eddie Brigati, Felix Cavaliere, Gene Cornish, and Dino Danelli, made its debut in February 1965 at the Choo Choo Club in Garfield. Within a year, the Rascals had become one of America’s leading rock and soul bands. Their music brought together rhythm and blues, rock, pop, and soul, with distinctive vocals, harmonies, and songwriting that helped set the group apart. “Good Lovin’,” “Groovin’,” “How Can I Be Sure,” “A Girl Like You,” “A Beautiful Morning,” and “People Got to Be Free” are among the recordings that established the Rascals as one of the defining American groups of the decade. Eddie shared lead vocal and songwriting responsibilities for most of the Rascals recordings with Felix Cavaliere, and his expressive singing became a defining feature of several Rascals recordings, particularly “How Can I Be Sure.” David also contributed significantly to the group’s sound. Although not one of the four official members, he sang on numerous Rascals recordings and helped develop their rich vocal harmonies and arrangements, earning him recognition as the “Fifth Rascal.” The group’s musical legacy extends beyond its chart success. Released in 1968, “People Got to Be Free” became associated with the civil rights era and its calls for equality and social change. The Rascals also refused to perform on segregated concert bills. More than 60 years after the group first took the stage in Garfield, Rascals’ recordings remain familiar to generations of music fans. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and New Jersey Hall of Fame Honors Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Eddie Brigati (middle) and Stevie Van Zandt with Eddie’s wife, singer Susan Lovell Brigati, performing at HACPAC in Hackensack, New Jersey in 2024. Eddie, a founding member of the Rascals who grew up in Garfield, will be honored at the Lodi Fall Festival on October 24, 2026. The Rascals were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, recognizing the group’s lasting influence on American popular music. Eddie Brigati and Felix Cavaliere received another major honor in 2009 when they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. On September 24, 2026, Eddie and David Brigati were inducted individually into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Performing Arts & Entertainment category. David, who died in March 2026, was honored posthumously. The late Dino Danelli, the Rascals’ drummer, was also recognized as a member of the New Jersey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. The latest honors place the Brigati brothers among the New Jersey performers whose work made a lasting contribution to American music. Their achievements also have particular significance for Bergen County. The brothers’ musical development, early performances, and connections to Garfield are part of the area’s cultural history. A Musical Legacy Bergen County Can Celebrate The upcoming Lodi tribute follows another major local celebration of the Brigati brothers’ music. In April 2024, the Rockit Live Foundation presented A Celebration of Garfield’s Brigati Brothers at the Hackensack Performing Arts Center. The sold-out concert featured young musicians from Rockit Academy performing songs associated with the Rascals and Joey Dee and the Starliters. Eddie Brigati and his wife, singer Susan Lovell Brigati, joined the performers onstage. Special guests included Stevie Van Zandt, Liberty DeVitto, and Johnny Farina. The concert introduced younger musicians and audience members to the brothers’ work while bringing together longtime fans who remembered the music from its earliest days. The Brigati brothers’ story is an important part of Bergen County’s musical heritage, connecting Garfield’s neighborhood clubs and local performers to recordings that achieved worldwide recognition. For more about their remarkable careers and Bergen County roots, read our original mybergen.com feature, The Brigati Brothers: Honoring a Bergen County Musical Legacy While Inspiring Future Generations. Lodi Fall Festival 2026 Event Details The annual Lodi Fall Festival on October 24 promises an afternoon of family fun, with live music, food, vendors, children’s activities, and fireworks. Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026 Time: 1:00 pm-9:00 pm. Musical program begins at 2:00 pm Location: 1 Memorial Drive, Lodi, New Jersey Musical Tribute: Altered State will perform classic rock and roll favorites, followed by a special set of Rascals songs featuring the Garfield High School Choir. Special Presentation: Eddie Brigati will receive the Key to the City from Lodi Mayor Luna and the Borough Council. Festival Activities: Additional live music, food, beer and wine, vendors, children’s activities, and fireworks. Rain Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026. Whether you remember the Rascals from their original hit records or discovered their music years later, the Lodi Fall Festival presents an opportunity to celebrate Eddie Brigati’s contributions to rock and roll and the Bergen County beginnings of a remarkable musical career. Find more info about the Lodi Fall Festival on Facebook.