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DOWAGIAC — One of Dowagiac’s most popular events is set to take the stage once again this summer with the help of a local financial institution.

Honor Credit Union of Dowagiac, 56337 M-51 S., presented Music in the Park coordinator Zena Burns with a $1,000 check Wednesday in support of the annual summer event. The Dowagiac Music in The Park series features a variety of different genres; past bookings have included bluegrass band Schlitz Creek, award-winning “American Song Contest” star Ada Leann, cellist and vocalist Jordan Hamilton, and reggae band Caribbean Soul Experience. Food vendors, which were added to the event in 2022, have included several eateries from around the region, including Nola Roux, Sammy Arepas, Chelito’s Mini-Donuts, and The Baker’s Rhapsody.

Honor Credit Union was one of four corporate sponsors for last year’s series.

“We’re all really really thrilled to support and be a part of it,” said HCU Community Assistant Vice President Janie Reifenberg. “Any time that you can put a little money forward and have a whole season of music for our community to enjoy is a great thing, especially when we know that the community comes out for this.”

“I would like to thank Honor Credit Union for its continued support of Music In The Park,” Burns said. “I love working with you guys on it and I am excited about this year. We’re once again mixing up the bands. We did a big call for food trucks and we’ve got some new players that are going to be in the mix.”

Burns took over concert organizing duties in 2022 with a wealth of music industry experience, from working at a record label in the late 90s to co-producing the iHeartRadio Music Festival. She spent time as entertainment director for Teen People, and has been a senior executive in the media and entertainment industries for more than 20 years. 

In February, the City of Dowagiac published a survey asking the community about its food preferences and specific vendors it would like to see on–site at the Music in The Park series. According to Burns, the addition of food trucks bolstered concert attendance last year. She said Downtown businesses are encouraged to extend their hours for concert goers.

“There’s so many people in the community who might come for dinner and not even stay for music and things because of the central location and because it’s something different,” Burns said. “Several people also said in the survey they are still spending money in downtown Dowagiac when we do this.”

The full Music In The Park lineup is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Leaderpub.com will be updated when more information is available.