The local tent of the Circus Saints & Sinners will present the 6th annual Party on the Plaza this Saturday evening at Market Plaza in downtown Wheeling.
The evening begins at 5 p.m. with several food trucks stationed along Market Street and with three high-energy bands prepped to perform. The event is a fundraiser presented by Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration and benefits the WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Robert Sonneborn Family Pediatric Outpatient Center at Wheeling Hospital.
“Ridgemont High” will get the entertainment started at 5:30 p.m., and “Shucking Bubba” will take the Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration stage at 7:30 p.m. “The Martini Affair” out of Columbus, Ohio, will close the annual event beginning at 9:30 p.m.
“We’re very excited to have the three bands performing at this year’s Party on the Plaza because all three bring a lot of energy to the stage,” said Paul Smith, the chair of the annual fundraiser. “When it comes to the music, we only have one rule – no slow songs – because we want to keep people out there on the dance floor having a blast.
“We’ve had a lot of great music at the event since it started several years ago, and this year will be no different,” he explained. “The entertainment gets started at 5:30 p.m., so we encourage everyone to arrive when the gates open so they can get something to eat before hitting the dance floor.”
Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Party on the Plaza website.
“Ridgemont High”
The leadoff band for this summer’s Party on the Plaza is “Ridgemont High,” a group that will travel to Wheeling from the Pittsburgh area to perform several hits from the 1980s.
“We recreate the energy, excitement, and soundtrack of one of the greatest decades in music. Every performance is designed to feel like stepping back into the era of big hair, neon lights, and unforgettable anthems,” explained band leader Rob Nace. “What sets us apart is our authenticity, musicianship, and connection with the audience. We don’t simply perform songs—we deliver an interactive experience that keeps the dance floor packed from the first note to the last.
“Our setlist spans the biggest pop, rock, new wave, and dance hits of the decade, appealing to fans of every generation,” he said. “From our stage presence and era-inspired style to our high-energy performances and professional sound, ‘Ridgemont High’ brings the spirit of the ’80s to every event. Whether it’s a festival, corporate event, private party, or concert venue, we create a fun, nostalgic atmosphere that turns every show into a celebration.
“When you book Ridgemont High, you’re not just hiring an ’80s cover band—you’re bringing an unforgettable ’80s experience that audiences will be talking about long after the final encore.”
“Shucking Bubba”
The second performers at this year’s “Party on the Plaza” will be “Shucking Bubba”, a band out of the Columbus, Ohio, area that has roots all the way back to the 1990s.
“We started out as a three-person acoustic band when I was in college,” explained band leader Sudhir Ranganath. “Our first gig was in November 1991, and I was doing it to make a few extra dollars as a student. It was low-key, but we gained a campus following and it all went a little bit beyond what we expected.
“So, after we graduated, we continued to play and, at that point, I decided that I wanted to take a stab at some of the larger venues and put together a full band,” he recalled. “So, we went from ‘Shucking Bubba’ to ‘Shucking Bubba Deluxe’. The acoustic band actually still exists as a as an entity, but now we really enjoy the bigger shows like what we’ll be playing in Wheeling.”
What should the Saturday night crowd expect at Market Plaza?
“When we expanded the band, we added more of a dance element to our shows because I’ve always been intrigued the dance music from the 1980s and ‘90s,” Ranganath said. “We mixed in a few genres, too, and we’re going to keep the crowd moving, that’s for sure.”
“The Martini Affair”
To close this year’s Party on the Plaza, The Martini Affair will take to the Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration stage at 9 p.m.
The band is also out of Ohio’s capital city, and band leader Jimmy King says those in attendance should expect an “elevated experience.”
“Basically, we want all of our shows to be like a giant cocktail party that you could dress up for because you and your friends are going to go out dancing,” he said. “We try to play a lot of the music that DJs will spin because our whole goal for the night is to get everybody up dancing and singing along.
“We play high-energy shows,” King insisted. “We are interactive with the audience, too, so we know exactly what they want.”
Following “Shucking Bubba” is something King and his bandmates are looking forward to because the two groups are friends.
With them before us, we know the crowd is going to be ready and roaring to go because those guys always put on a good show,” he said. “We‘re going to bring it, and it’s going to be furious with very few breaks. We’re going to roll songs together and keep people moving.
“The people in Wheeling should be all ready for a great time,” King added. “We’re are going to deliver a great show and we’re really looking forward to our time in Wheeling.”
Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Party on the Plaza website.
