Music in the Park – Sylvester Park Hosts Olympia’s Summer Soundtrack

olympia free concert
Children of all ages enjoy the sounds at the Music in the Park free concert series.
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By Alyssa Ramsfield

oly fed sponsorSummer is the perfect time to enjoy our local parks with family. One park in particular will be filling downtown Olympia with the sound of music, laughter, and entertainment. In fact, Sylvester Park is hosting Music in the Park which has been providing Olympia’s summer soundtrack, free of cost, for 35 years.

“The Music in the Park summer concert series was started in 1980 by the City of Olympia after a RUDAT study of downtown Olympia,” explains Executive Director of the Olympic Downtown Association, Connie Lorenz. “This was at a time that Olympia had lost several core businesses that left downtown to the opportunities of a new shopping mall on the Westside of Olympia. The study also recommended having the performing arts center in downtown and to build a boardwalk on Budd Bay.”

olympia free concert
Children of all ages enjoy the sounds at the Music in the Park free concert series.

“The city turned the series over to a group of downtown business volunteers who kept it going for several years,” Lorenz continues.  “In 1991, the Olympia Downtown Association assumed production of the concert series.”

Music in the Park is back again this year and better than ever. “This year we celebrate the 35th year of the free concert series,” describes Lorenz. “This is one of the most visible activities of the Olympia Downtown Association.  It attracts over 13,000 community members to the nine outdoor concerts.  Eight concerts are held in the historic Sylvester Park on Wednesdays in July and August.  One concert is held at the Port Plaza on Friday, August 1.”

“Each year of the concert series is different,” says Lorenz. “We start in December and January putting out a call for talent submissions.  A committee reviews all the submissions and makes a selection that offers a variety of genres of music.  This year’s line-up features the 133rd Army Band and folk, rock, soul, blues, country, jazz funk, symphonic performances. The summer concert series continues to be free thanks to the generous donations of downtown businesses and many downtown supporters.”

Each free concert begins at 7:00 pm at Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia, with the exception of the August 1 concert which is at the Port Plaza.

The highlight of this free music series is bringing the community and families together throughout the summer season. “One of my favorites things about the concert series is the number of families that come to the park with blankets, chairs and even a group of people who set up a small table and chairs and have a picnic dinner,” says Lorenz. “Depending on the type of music, people dance and children are having a great time barefoot running through the grass.  It is a great gathering time of friends and families.”

Bring a beach towel, a picnic dinner, and the entire family to Music in the Park for free tunes every Wednesday evening, all summer long!

 

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