FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Busking for Justice Returns to Café Dewitt with First Friday Concert Series, February–June
ITHACA, NY — Busking for Justice, a community-driven fundraising concert series featuring local musicians, returns to Café Dewitt in downtown Ithaca’s Dewitt Mall on the first Friday of each month from February through June. The series runs from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., with free admission and donations encouraged. All funds raised will support immigrants and their families facing the impacts of detention and deportation.
Rooted in the belief that music can unite, inspire, and mobilize, Busking for Justice brings artists and audiences together in a spirit of generosity, shared humanity, and solidarity. The series creates a space where live music serves both as cultural expression and as a call to collective care.
The February 6 concert will feature original music by singer-songwriter Tom Mank and cellist Sera Smolen, with Mank (vocals and guitar) and Smolen (cello) joined by Laura Branca (vocals) and Rich DePaolo (vocals and guitar). Mank and Smolen have collaborated since 1994, blending Americana songwriting with classical cello into an eclectic sound, and have toured extensively throughout Europe—often with DePaolo on guitar. DePaolo is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer-engineer who has recorded and toured widely across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Branca, a co-founder of Rising Sign—a local Latin band that performed original music and danceable covers for two decades—and a longtime social justice advocate, brings deep community roots and a strong commitment to human rights and collective action.
Busking for Justice – Spring 2026 Schedule
• February 6 – Tom Mank (vocals & guitar) and Sera Smolen (cello), with Laura Branca (vocals) and Rich DePaolo (vocals & guitar)
• March 6 – Joe Crookston (vocals & guitar)
• April 3 – 14Strings! (Filipino style Rondalla)
• May 1 – Lavine and the Flying Machine (Klezmer group) – Jennie Lavine (clarinet & vocals), Dave Davies (guitar), Sam Swartz (tenor horn & vocals), Greg Ezra (percussion)
• June 5 – TBA
Event Details
First Fridays, February–June
5:30–7:00 p.m.
Café Dewitt, Dewitt Mall, 215 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca
Free admission; donations encouraged, food available for purchase

Press Contact
Saoirse McClory
saoirsemcclory@gmail.com
607-272-9088
Additional information
Café Dewitt
cafedewitt.com
Tom Mank & Sera Smolen
tommank.net
14Strings!
14strings.com
Joe Crookston
joecrookston.com