How about two bucks?


That’s the modest admission to the concert portion of RiverFest 2006, a festival to be held in Wrightsville June 25 that takes full advantage of the town’s spectacular riverfront view. According to event organizer Albert Storm, it’s a bargain, indeed.


“We like to say it’s three shows for two bucks,” he said. “I don’t think you can go anywhere else and see this much talent for that kind of price.”


Set on the grassy lawn of Wrightsville’s John Wright Store & Restaurant, the event kicks off Along the Susquehanna, a yearlong joint celebration of Lancaster County Historical Society and York County Heritage Trust. The organizations are paying tribute to the history and culture of the area’s river towns and the 444-mile-long body of water that so defines them.


While former events have primarily emphasized the historic significance of the region, Storm said, “this year, the focus is on the music. We’ve got three great local acts that I think people will enjoy.”


The headliner is the Maxwell Project, a 10-piece funk/jazz/soul/R&B combo that played throughout the Susquehanna Valley in the mid-1970s and early 1980s, opening for such big-name acts as the Temptations and the Spinners.


“Most people in Lancaster County would probably remember them from having played at the weekend dances at the Neffsville Park,” Storm said. “They were very popular when I was growing up.”


Best known for its cultish, Three Mile Island-inspired 1979 hit, “Radiation Funk,” the group, then known simply as Maxwell, disbanded in 1984.


Response to the group’s 2002 comeback has been positive, said Maxwell Project singer Kat Matthews, who will share the stage with the band’s original singer, Nippy Hawkins.


“We were overwhelmed by the response to Maxwell’s reunion,” said Matthews, who co-wrote several songs on the band’s latest CD. “Our live shows are now a blend of the old and the new, and, so far, it’s going over very well.”


Folk singer/songwriter Bobbi Carmitchell and country trio Hot Wired will open for the Maxwell Project. Additionally, an exhibit of river-themed artwork will be displayed on the second floor of the John Wright restaurant, and festivalgoers can take in a variety of family activities and special exhibits.


“We have half a dozen food vendors, and we’ll also have a couple of vendors who will have historic items, such as antique photographs of the area,” Storm said.


The evening will conclude with bonfires on the river, set to commemorate the historic burning of the Columbia-Wrightsville bridge on June 28, 1863. A local militia unit set the bridge on fire to prevent quickly advancing Confederate troops from entering Lancaster County — a tactic that not only forced Robert E. Lee’s Confederates to retreat and change course, but also indirectly led them to the watershed battle at Gettysburg.


The bonfires will be set atop three of the bridge piers where the old, mile-long bridge once stood — one for each of the local river towns: Columbia, Marietta and Wrightsville.


“The braziers [on the piers] are big steel baskets, about 6 feet long, 2 feet wide and 2 feet high. We overload them with firewood, a stack of about 4 feet high, and light them,” Storm said. “It is something to see.”


The event runs from 3 to 8 p.m., with music beginning at 3:15. The Maxwell Project will play from 5:30 to 8, followed by the bonfires. Patrons are asked to bring lawn chairs and blankets.


“It is a beautiful venue. It should be a good day. There’s a panoramic view up there on the hill,” Storm said. “We think it will be a special event.”