MARION — A festival honoring the life of Nolan Gibbons, a 15-year-old musician from Marion who was lost to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood in 2020, returns July 23 at Silvershell Beach.

The second annual NolanFest will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. 

Last year more than 400 attendees enjoyed live music, performers from around the country, eats from local food trucks, a fire dancer, and other features at the event, which celebrates Nolan’s life.

Nolan was a rising sophomore at Old Rochester Regional High School and already a very successful musician. He began singing locally at age 9 with the community service and music troupe, The Showstoppers. 

In 2017, at the age of 12, Nolan won New England’s Got Talent by performing an a cappella version of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” which he arranged and produced himself. 

In 2018, Nolan was cast as the main vocal percussionist of Acapop! KIDS, a national all-kids a cappella group formed by the founders and members of the Grammy Award-winning group, Pentatonix.

He died as a result of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood,  the sudden death of a child 12 months of age or older that remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation.

This year Rhode Island Comedy Hall of Famer Frank O’Donnell will serve as master of ceremonies for the live show.

Suggested ticket donation is $20 for adults, and $10 for students and can be made at PayPal.Me/NolanFest. Those attending should bring their own chairs or blankets. 

NolanFest t-shirts are available for pre-purchase until July 1 at https://tinyurl.com/4hzsave9 or they can be picked up the day of the event via cash, PayPal, and Venmo. 

All proceeds go to The Nolan Gibbons Memorial Fund, which seeks to empower and support performing artists through grants and scholarships in support of their creative pursuits and passions.

Sponsorship opportunities for this year’s event are also available.

Anyone interested in volunteering to help with the event or to learn more about it should e-mail Laura Carrillo at lmcarrillo1@gmail.com.