The City of Winchester Civic Group hopes that local residents will “play local” this weekend and enjoy everything the city has to offer.
The annual event kicked on Thursday and will run through this Sunday with a host of special events. John Paul Coonrod of the Winchester Civic Group says the group tries to remain active in creating and promoting events in the Winchester area all year long: “We’ve made a real effort over the last several years to ensure that there are good events for people to go out and enjoy within the City of Winchester, especially over the course of the summer. The first weekend of the summer is the main thrust that starts with Music in the Park on Thursday nights.”
Coonrod, who helps coordinate the music event annually with Stuart Smith, says that the concert series is in its 9th year of existence, providing both families and artist an intimate setting in Winchester’s Central Park: “Believe it or not, the small size of the town square creates a nice little acoustic sensation. As the music comes off the stage, it bounces off the buildings surrounding the square and reverberates back to the people in the audience. The series starts this year with Tom Irwin & Amy Battles playing roots music. Tom Irwin’s characteristic storytelling is always extraordinary. We invite Tom Irwin back each year because he puts on such a good show.”
The Music in the Park Series will continue nearly every Thursday in June and July, except for the week of July 4th . Subsequent artists include Chris Vallillo, Josie Lowder, Reverend Robert, the Land of Lincoln String Trio, Jeff Newman’s Portable Beat, and the Silver Creek Bluegrass Band. Food will be available starting at 6 with music starting at 7 for the free concerts.
Friday’s featured event will be a movie in the park starting at dusk hosted by the Oddfellows. Sunday will have specials at Plum Creek Golf Course and a meet and greet with the mouse from the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie from 2-4PM at the Winchester Public Library.
For more information, check out the Winchester Civic Group on Facebook.