Punk in the Park rolled into Palladium Outdoors in Worcester, Massachusetts, giving New England fans a punk send-off to the last days of summer. The one-day, all-ages festival packed a lineup stacked with legends — Bad Religion, Pennywise, Face to Face, The Vandals, The Adolescents — alongside hometown heroes like The Rins.

I always love the walk up to the gates. As you get closer, the band shirts and wild hair start to multiply until you turn the corner and see it — a crowd buzzing with nostalgia and anticipation for the day ahead. Fans swap stories about favorite shows from earlier in the year, others scout out early spots at the merch tables, and the diehards are already pressed against the barricade, staking their claim. There isn’t a feeling in the world quite like it!

THE RINS

Opening a festival can be a bit of a death sentence. The crowd is still too sober to fully to let loose, many fans are still arriving from various corners of New England, looking for parking and making their way through security. And on an oddly warm September weekend, the sun was defintely testing the early crowd. But The Rins didn’t care. These Massachusetts locals came out swinging, bouncing around the stage with, grateful for a small but meaninging set on a day full of punk legends. They only have a small following right now, but it didn’t matter. It was sweaty, scrappy, and real — and to me the perfect start to an amazing day celebrating punk culture and music.

POLI VAN DAM

By the time Poli Van Dam hit the stage, the sun was cooking everything in sight, including the asphalt of the festival grounds, which was staged in the parking lot outside The Palldium. She walked out smiling anyway and made jokes about being “hot as balls” and “Punk in the Park(ing lot).” Her set had a punch to it, low key flexing with some great vocals.

She had great banter with her drummer, who I thought just had a hot mic. But really it was part of the act for their song “Before I Go.” She also had an amazing cover of Nirvana’s “Polly” but with her own punk twist. Whether playing it up for the camera or cracking jokes with the crowd, she kept her set feeling loose and alive. She left the crowd with “F#ck the police… and f#ck diabetes.” Her set was so lively, one would have barely noticed the glocuse monitor on the back of her arm.

THE DWARVES

The Dwarves have been part of the punk scene for decades now. Known for in-your-face punk that its loud and mildly offensive, it was and were a great choice for early on the bill, as the day delved further into punk rock history. And the energy, begin to swirl in the crowd as the early turbelence of a circle pit began to form.

Somewhere between sets, I chatted with a fan who pointed out my The Attack t-shirt. He recounted how we was slightly older than the band members, but grew up with them in Florida. We laughed about how music has this weird way of connecting fans across generations, even state lines. Doesn’t matter how old you are or where you came from — punk always finds a way to make strangers feel like family.

GUTTERMOUTH

Then came Guttermouth. The frontman was pure chaos in human form. The whole thing felt reckless in the best possible way. You could tell he wasn’t performing for us — he was right there with us. When the set ended, he stayed near the entrance to the barricade, taking selfies, hugging people, and laughing as if he hadn’t put on what would end up being one of the most energetic sets of the day.

I spent the second half their set chatting with and thanking the volunteers at the Punk Rock Saves Lives booth. If you are not familiar with this non-profit, they offer physical and mental health advocacy to shows, festivals, and tours across the country. One of the volunteers mentioned how she was just engaged, and in the most punk rock way of course — at a Dave Hause show at Space Ballroom an hour or so down the road in Connecticut.

ADOLESCENTS

By the time the Adolescents took over, the place was packed shoulder to shoulder. These California punk veterans delivered a strong set as the early crowd caved-in, with many leaving the barricade to refuel with food from the lineup of trucks. Older punk fans sang along to the classics, while some of the younger crowd pushed forward to get familiar with this legendary 80s band.

At this point, I made my way into the crowd to capture some of the characters that make punk festivals what they are. Music really does give us a space to be our truest selves — whether that means rocking a mohawk, a loud outfit, or both. At one point, I saw a father (or maybe an uncle) lift a kid onto his shoulders and safely run the circle pit together. And I may or may not have joined in the mosh pit with my camera. Keep scrolling to the end to see some of that beautiful chaos.

By then, the spotted lanternflies were just as relentless as the pit. Honestly, is there anything more punk than curb-stomping a lanternfly? Saving the planet while letting out some aggression — that’s as wholesome as punk gets.

COMEBACK KID

Then came Canadian hardcore punk band Comeback Kid from Winnipeg. If anyone could wake up a crowd halfway through the lineup, it was them. The moment they hit the first note, people started moving again. Bodies flying, voices cracking, pure adrenaline. Even the free drinks from the Monster Energy booth couldn’t compete with that kind of rush. From this point on, the circle pit swelled in size and never really let up for the rest of the day. Frontman Andrew Neufeld even left the stage to scream shoulder-to-shoulder with fans at the barricade.

I don’t recall it being mentioned during the set, but there was a weight behind their performance — something raw and emotional that lingered. The band is only a few months removed from losing their former bassist, Matt Keil, who passed away from ALS earlier this summer. Comeback Kid has been running a GoFundMe campaign to help support Matt’s wife and children. You can learn more and donate HERE!

THE VANDALS

The Vandals came in swinging right after, with drums covered by none other than Byron McMackin from Pennywise. Guitarist Warren Fitzgerald was dressed to the nines in, well, a red polo and matching red pants that somehow perfectly color-coordinated with his guitar. Sometimes you don’t even need to hear a note — when you walk on stage looking like that, you already know it’s going to be a great set. Selfishly, I was glad to finally capture and see The Vandals live after missing their NYC show earlier this year.

When “My Girlfriend’s Dead” hit, it turned into a full-blown singalong led by the crowd. The band couldn’t help but laugh and comment on how lively everyone was, dancing and vibing to their classics like it was the late ’90s all over again.

FACE TO FACE

As the sun dropped, Face to Face took the stage. For the first time all day, the lights came alive against the dusk, the heat started to break, and the momentum from the earlier acts carried right into their set. A few songs in, the band stopped mid-performance for a medic call. House lights went up and the entire crowd went silent until we knew the person was okay. Then Face to Face picked up right where they left off — maybe even a bit louder. That’s what I love about these shows: the chaos, the humor, and the unspoken code that says we all have each other’s backs.

Be among the crowd long enough and you start to hear the funniest stories. By this point, most adults had downed a few cans of alcohol — and of course, indulged in a little of the devil’s lettuce. And of course, hats off to security for swiftly handling anyone who crossed their own tolerance.

PENNYWISE

When Pennywise took the stage, the place turned into a family gathering. Generations of fans side by side. Parents hoisting kids onto their shoulders, friends passing beers, strangers hugging.

Pennywise also gave fans a quick lesson in punk rock history, calling out the bands that shaped them and dropping names for kids to add to their playlists, occasionally breaking into short medleys from those influences.

Fletcher Dragge took a moment mid-set to talk about how unnecessarily divided things have become in America and how that’s exactly how the powers that be, on both sides of the aisle, want it. “They get things done while we’re too busy fighting each other,” he said, right before the band launched into “F*ck Authority.”

In signature Pennywise for, by the end of the set, everyone was on their feet singing “Bro Hymn,” family members and various band members from earlier acts joined them on the stage for this punk rock staple. It was one of those moments where music truly felt like home.

BAD RELIGION

I was able to catch Bad Religion at Pier 17 in NYC earlier this summer with Dropkick Murphys on the on the Summer of Discontent tour. While Dropkick dropped from the Punk in the Park lineup over some controversial donations from festival organizers, Bad Religion stepped up and carried the rest of the series.

No matter where your opinion falls, whether it’s respecting Dropkick for holding true to their morals or admiring Bad Religion for staying on tour to make sure punk legends’ stories could still be told and smaller local acts had a platform, you have to give credit where it’s due. Bad Religion has been touring heavily most of this year, yet they delivered a set with all the fire and energy of an opening night.

Their headling spot opened with a single spotlight on Brian Baker, as the rest of the band filed onto the stage. They delivered a massive 24-song performance anchored by “Sorrow” and “American Jesus” as the encores. There are moments where you just sit back, maybe even close your eyes, and take in the beauty of days like this — thousands of people moved by songs that have resonated with them in completely different ways.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It’s been an incredible year of sharing playlists and late-night car rides, and watching my kids fall in love with the same music that shaped me. For me, as someone who left organized religion a long time ago, “Sorrow” always hits harder than most songs. But this time, it wasn’t just me singing along. I was side by side with two of my kids, both of them knowing every word to songs that were written decades before they were born.

Being the black sheep of my familiy wasn’t rebellion for rebellion’s sake; it was survival for me, and the start of breaking generations of silence and shame, and to begin choosing peace over toxic patterns. As a divorced dad raising my kids mostly on my own, these shows have become our version of church. The crowd becomes the congregation and the lyrics scripture we can actually believe in. It’s loud, imperfect, and honest — and maybe that’s what makes days like today sacred in their own way.

On the two-hour drive home, “Sorrow” came on my playlist again, right as I passed a church van with “Jesus Saves” plastered across the back in bold letters. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Maybe Jesus saves. Maybe he doesn’t. But punk rock? Punk rock absolutely does.

If you happened to see a tall, bearded, tattooed photographer running the circle pit or handing out RØKKR Press stickers at the barricade — check out our crowd-favorites gallery below! If you spot yourself in one of the shots, reach out to us on Instagram @rokkr.press and we’ll make sure you get your photo!