The City of Nanaimo is bringing the music back this summer.
Beginning on July 8, the city will be holding the first Summer Concerts in the Park performance of the season.
Deborah Beck, recreation coordinator for the City of Nanaimo, says the series are a great outing for the whole family.
“It is a fun family thing to do in the summer evenings,” Beck said. “It provides an opportunity for the community to come together ... and it is free.”
During the month of July, concerts will take place on Wednesday evenings at the Bowen Park Amphitheatre beginning at 6 p.m.
The concerts will then move to Maffeo Sutton Park starting on Aug. 6 and will be held on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m.
The performers this year include the Michael Wood Band, a Victoria-based band that has played at Canadian Music Week and is expected to release a new album sometime this year. Other performers this year include the Clanns and the Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra.
When it comes to selecting artists for the series, Beck says she aims for balance.
“I try and get someone from different genres so we have a good mix of music to choose from,” she said. “I also look at the type of people that come out to listen to the music at our parks.”
The City of Nanaimo has also brought back the Summer Concerts in the Park Lunchtime Series, which will run on Mondays at 12:30 p.m., starting on July 13.
The Concerts in the Park series began over a decade ago in Bowen Park.
“It actually started as a seniors concert back in the day at Bowen Park and it has just been growing and growing,” Beck said.
Previous Concerts in the Park guests include The Big Mess, West My Friend, The Notables, Flashback Freddy, Raine Hamilton, The Royal Canadians, Rio Samaya and The Knights of Camelot.
This is the second year that the City of Nanaimo has held the Lunchtime Series.
“I wanted to provide an opportunity for people that either worked or lived in the downtown core to come spend lunch with us,” Beck said.
For more information, please visit www.nanaimo.ca.
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