On June 1st the very popular Music in the Park will return for its third season on Wednesday evenings in Lest We Forget Park on the south side of the Lacombe Memorial Centre. Judging from the great success of the program for the last two years, Music in the Park will again be a favorite for all ages, offering a wide variety of musical entertainment from old time rock and roll, Dixie Land, bluegrass, folk, jazz, rhythm & blues, and Celtic.
Music in the Park offers an opportunity for residents of Lacombe and many summer visitors to enjoy an evening of entertainment and experience a wide range of musical styles. It is also provides a venue for local and regional musicians to showcase their talent and gain exposure to a new and varied audience.
The committee has been fortunate to secure very high quality performers for Music in the Park, some of whom travel from as far away as Calgary and beyond. This year they not only have many of the popular acts returning, but a large number of new performers who value the experience and are looking forward to entertaining in Lacombe.
This year, Music in the Park will kick off on June 1st, thanks to the support and sponsorship of the local organizations and businesses such as the Lacombe Rotary Club, The Lacombe Arts Endowment, Lacombe Community Market, Tricon Developments and Chateau Wines. Also supporting this community program is St. Andrews United Church who have generously offered their facility for rain out days. Rain or shine, the show will go on!
The community market will also start on June 1st, in its outside venue on the east side of Lacombe Memorial Centre, running from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. every Wednesday evening until the end of August.
Wendy Buyer, coordinator for the community market, confirmed that the vendors are extremely excited to come back for a third year.
“What a beautiful way to break up the monotony of the mid-week blues, shopping at the friendly vendors, dinner at the delicious food trucks and a free live concert every week,” she said.
Music in the Park was started in 2014 by the Lacombe Performing Arts Centre and the C4 Initiative Committee to promote arts and culture in the City of Lacombe. Receiving one time funding from the City of Lacombe for its initial year, the program ran through July and August.
Last year Music in the Park grew to a full three months and audience numbers have ranged from 200 – 400 per show. In turn, the committee has been very appreciative of the generosity of the audiences and was able to use donations at the concerts to continue to offer the very popular summer performances. There are still a few concerts that are available for sponsorship opportunities but overall the organizers are encouraged by the strong support for this popular program. This year programming for Canada Day and two concerts during the Lacombe Culture and Harvest Festival have been added to the schedule.
Music in the Park runs June to August, every Wednesday starting at 6:30 p.m. in Lest We Forget Park. Everyone is invited to bring their lawn chairs and picnic blankets to the park, enjoy the beautiful weather, good friends and an evening of free entertainment.
For details and a full program schedule go to www.lacomberegionaltourism.com and follow the link to Music in the Park.
-Submitted by Ellen Corea, Music in the Park Committee.