Sounds of Summer

June 23, 2015

Bicentennial Park Summer Concert Series offers family-fun weekend kickoff

By Kathryn Vance

After a long workweek, it might seem like the only option for a Friday night would be to go home and relax. There’s nothing better than heading home, watching some TV, and hitting the hay early, right?

Think again.

During the June 5 concert, Louisville-based band Nellie Pearl performed a full set of music, which featured a folk flair on modern styles. • Photo by Kathryn Vance — During the June 5 concert Louisville based band Nellie Pearl performed a full set of music which featured a folk flair on modern styles Photo by Kathryn Vance

In its third year, New Albany’s Bicentennial Park Summer Concert Series offers a great source of entertainment and relaxation for everyone in the community.

Sponsored by McNeely Stephenson Attorneys at Law, Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County and 91.9 WFPK, the concerts are held every Friday night from June through August at Bicentennial Park, 118 E. Spring St. in New Albany. Featuring both local and nationally-recognized bands, the concerts showcase artists with a sound to fit nearly everyone’s musical tastes.

“Each year we have a wide variety of high-quality live music that spans multiple genres,” said Mike Hall, director of city operations.

No matter what the music genre, it is sure to get children – and their parents – up and dancing. With a large grassy area directly in front of the stage, there is plenty of room for everyone to show off their moves and get into the music.

Local restaurants offer refreshments throughout the concert series and attendees are invited to bring their own food into the park. The concerts are 6 to 9 p.m. Fridays through August at Bicentennial Park in New Albany. — Local restaurants offer refreshments throughout the concert series and attendees are invited to bring their own food into the park The concerts are 6 to 9 pm Fridays through August at Bicentennial Park in New Albany

For those more interested in sitting and relaxing, local restaurants Fieldhaus and River City Winery provide beverages for adults. In addition to local beer and wine selections, there are also soda and water options for sale. People are also encouraged to bring their own food down to the concerts, especially from one of the many local eateries.

“We see a high number of people ordering food from local restaurants and bringing it into the park, which we of course encourage,” Hall said. “Hopefully our visitors will see a shop or restaurant that they may want to visit on another trip downtown.”

Hall explained that the Concert Series has been instrumental in helping people rediscover downtown New Albany. Not only is this good for people in the community, but also for small business owners and entrepreneurs downtown.

“The feedback and support that we receive from the local business community regarding the Bicentennial Park Summer Concert Series is really great,” Hall said. “Our goal is to get people to downtown New Albany to see all that it has to offer.”

Ryan Marsh, a New Albany native, will perform Friday, June 26 beginning at 6 p.m. The full lineup for July will be released later this week. For more information, visit www.cityofnewalbany.com.