Summer Concert Series Announces Its Biggest Lineup Yet

The riverfront concert series will host 20 free shows next summer, its largest lineup since it began in 1998. Organizers unveiled the schedule on Tuesday evening at a packed announcement party in the old boathouse, where a brass quartet played between speeches and fans cheered as each new act appeared on a big screen. The season will run every Friday and Saturday evening from mid-June through late August, with a few special midweek dates around the holidays.

Highlights include a Fourth of July performance by the city symphony and a late-August bluegrass festival. In between, the lineup ranges from jazz and soul to folk, Latin, gospel, rock and a family-friendly afternoon of children’s music. Every show will be free and open to all, as it has been for more than 25 years.

A season of firsts

The series started with just six concerts on a borrowed flatbed trailer parked by the river. Today it is one of the city’s most beloved summer traditions, drawing families with picnic blankets, retirees with lawn chairs and teenagers who come for the music and stay for the sunset.

This year brings several firsts. For the first time, the series will host two shows on the same weekend in a new “double bill” format, pairing an established local band with an up-and-coming act. It will also add a Sunday afternoon gospel concert, a request that came up repeatedly in last year’s audience survey. And the riverfront stage itself has been rebuilt over the winter with a larger roof, better lighting and an improved sound system.

A free concert on a summer night is the best thing a city can give itself.

Series director Leon Banks

Banks said the expanded lineup was made possible by new sponsors, a bigger grant from the city’s arts council and hundreds of small donations from residents. “Every year someone tells me they met their spouse at one of these shows, or brought their kids for the first time,” he said. “We wanted to give the city more nights like that.”

Lineup highlights

Organizers released the full schedule online, but a few dates are already generating buzz. Here are some of the shows fans are circling on their calendars:

• Opening night, mid-June: The Harbor Street Horns, a ten-piece soul and funk band that has opened the season three times before.
• Jazz on the River: A late-June evening featuring the Juniper Lane Trio, a local favorite, and a guest saxophonist.
• Fourth of July: The city symphony performs a program of American classics, followed by the fireworks display over the water.
• Latin Night: A mid-July dance party with Sol y Río, complete with a free salsa lesson before the show.
• Family Afternoon: A Saturday matinee of children’s music, crafts and bubbles in late July.
• Sunday Gospel: A combined choir from several area congregations in early August.
• Bluegrass Festival: A full day of banjo, fiddle and harmony singing in late August, closing the season.

The Fourth of July concert

The symphony’s holiday performance is the series’ biggest night by far. Last year, the city estimated the crowd at more than 15,000 people. Organizers expect even more this summer, and they are adding extra seating areas, food trucks and restrooms to handle it. Gates to the lawn will open at 4 p.m., and the music starts at 7:30 p.m., with fireworks around 9:15 p.m.

Local talent takes the stage

More than half of this summer’s performers are based in the city or within a short drive of it, a deliberate choice by organizers. Banks said the series has always tried to give local musicians a big stage and a big audience, and this year a new open application drew more than 140 submissions from area bands. A panel of musicians, teachers and longtime fans listened to every one before choosing the final lineup.

Among the newcomers is Main Street Ramblers, a five-piece folk group made up of two high school music teachers and three of their former students. Another first-timer, the Riverside Steel Band, plays Caribbean steelpan music and has become a fixture at neighborhood block parties. Several veteran acts are returning too, including a blues trio that has played the series nearly every summer since 2005.

Local artists will also be featured off the stage. A rotating group of painters and photographers will set up booths along the riverwalk on select nights, and a community mural will take shape over the course of the season, with concertgoers invited to add a brushstroke.

The bluegrass finale

The late-August bluegrass festival grew out of a single concert six years ago and has become a fan favorite. This year it will feature five bands across an afternoon and evening, beginning with a youth showcase for young pickers and singers from area music programs. Workshops on banjo, fiddle and harmony singing will run in the boathouse during the afternoon, free for anyone who brings an instrument or just wants to listen.

Festival coordinator Tessa Morrow said the youth showcase is the part she is proudest of. “Some of the kids who played the first year are now in touring bands,” she said. “It’s a pipeline for the music, and it keeps the tradition alive.”

Planning your visit

All concerts are free, and no tickets are needed. Seating is first-come, first-served on the lawn, so arrive early for popular shows. Organizers shared a few tips for a smooth evening:

1. Bring a blanket or low-back lawn chairs. High-back chairs are asked to stay toward the back.
2. Pack a picnic. Outside food and nonalcoholic drinks are welcome.
3. Take the free riverfront shuttle from downtown garages, since nearby parking fills quickly.
4. Bring sunscreen, water and bug spray for early evening shows.
5. Leave pets at home on the busiest nights, including the Fourth of July.

Food trucks will be on site at every show, offering everything from barbecue and tacos to ice cream and lemonade. Several local restaurants will also offer concert-night specials for pickup.

Accessibility

The rebuilt stage area includes a paved, accessible viewing platform near the front, accessible restrooms and reserved parking close to the entrance. American Sign Language interpreters will be available for several shows, and organizers welcome requests for others. A quiet area near the boathouse offers a calmer space for anyone who needs a break from the crowd.

Key takeaway: Twenty free shows, a rebuilt stage and new events make this the series’ most ambitious summer yet. Arrive early for the Fourth and the bluegrass festival.

Supporting the series

Behind every free evening on the lawn is a long list of costs that most concertgoers never see.

Although the concerts are free, they are not free to produce. Each show costs thousands of dollars in sound, staging, security and artist fees. Organizers rely on sponsors, grants and donations from residents to keep the series going. Volunteers are also needed to staff information tables, hand out programs and help with cleanup.

Banks said the best way to support the series is simply to show up. “Bring your friends, bring your neighbors, bring a blanket and stay for the last song,” he said. “That’s what keeps this thing alive.” The full schedule, volunteer signup and donation page are available on the series’ website, and organizers will post weather updates on concert days.