By Staff
You don't have to go far this summer to sit in your lawn chair and enjoy a free concert. Weekly concert series are being provided in Niles and Dowagiac and Cassopolis is host to an Art and Music Festival the weekend of June 24-26.
The Cassopolis-Vandalia Chamber of Commerce will provide live music until midnight on Saturday, June 25, behind the Municipal Building (Standard Bank) in downtown Cassopolis.
Jack's Money will start off the evening's line-up at 4 p.m., followed by Rolly Wells Band, Bluer Skyz and finally FBI Blues band at 8 p.m. On Sunday, June 26, the annual Gospel Fest will take place beginning at noon featuring Marlyce Webster at Sam Adams Middle School.
The setting in downtown Niles is the Riverfront Amphitheater for free concerts on Wednesday and Thursday evenings and also on Sundays. Wednesday concerts, sponsored by the Niles Parks/Recreation Board, run from 7 to 8 p.m. and range from folk to jazz and rock 'n' roll. They run through Aug. 24.
Thursdays bring rock and blues concerts to the Riverfront from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Water and sports drinks are also available for those who would like to run or walk while they are enjoying the outdoors. Sunday in the Park concerts are from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and bring folk, bluegrass and more to Niles through the end of September. Dowagiac offers its Summer Concert Series at Beckwith Park each Thursday beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Haggin-Wimberley bandstand downtown. These concerts continue a tradition that recalls Dowagiac's Round Oak Band of the 1800s.
A mixture of vocal and instrumental performances feature jazz, bluegrass, the big band sound and ethnic music.
These concerts will run through Aug. 18. Let's support these concerts and thank the chambers and sponsors which are bringing these different musical groups into our communities for great family times at no cost to the listeners.
Keep your lawn chairs in your trunk and enjoy the music.