Sunday in the Park concert series in Greenville is back

The outdoors, live music and picnics – Sunday in the Park in Greenville, North Carolina, is back with the Tar River Community Band kicking off the concert series on June 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Common.

Marketing and Events Coordinator for the City of Greenville Megan Howard said the Sunday in the Park summer concert series has been a tradition since 1973. She said this year will mark the 50th anniversary of the community event.

“We’re celebrating the 50th anniversary this year, and throughout the decades, the summer concert has been just a good way for the community to get together,” Howard said. “People have the chance to enjoy music, vendors and food trucks. It has just been something that the city has enjoyed hosting for the past 50 years.”

For the anniversary Howard said the City of Greenville will be selling a commemorative T-shirt. The merchandise, she said, can be a “little something” people can use to remember the festivities.

Next to the live music Howard said there will be different vendors selling their merchandise and a variety of food trucks present.

“Sunday in the Park will be each Sunday in the month of June and July,” Howard said. “The event starts at 5 p.m. and the live music at 6:30 p.m. The only Sunday that we are taking off is July 2. That is because we're hosting a July 4 celebration just a few days from that Sunday. Other than that, we’ll be there!”

Howard said people can expect from the concert series to have multiple nice Sundays in the outdoors. The event she said is multi-generational friendly. Parents can bring their kids, Howard said, and let them run around while listening to some “great music”.

To fully embrace the event she said she advises people to bring a picnic basket, blankets and chairs to take in the sights and sounds of other people enjoying the concert. In case of a change in weather Howard said the City of Greenville is prepared to make accommodations.

“Many of the bands we have contracted with have agreed we’ll make a call by 5 p.m. on Fridays whether or not they’ll be performing due to bad weather,” Howard said. “If we're able to make a call by that time, then we’ll make it a rain-day. If something just pops up out of the blue on Saturday and Sunday and it looks like the weather is not in our favor for hosting our concert, then the show will be canceled.”

To stay up-to-date with the Sunday in the Park concert series, she said, people can follow their Facebook page and website to stay informed. Since the summer just started Howard said interested vendors can still sign up to be part of the festivities. To sign up Howard said vendors can contact her through email or a phone call.

The President of the Tar River Community Band, Karen Simmons, said the group will be performing the first concert of the season.

“We were really happy when we were asked if we wanted to be the first band to play this weekend at Sunday in the Park,” Simmons said. “I can't remember if we performed for the very first year of the concert series, but we were definitely close. So, we have been there from the very beginning.”

Simmons said she herself is a charter member, meaning she has been a musician of the Tar River Community Band from day one.

The music the band she said will be playing a mixture of different genres. Some songs Simmons said will be marches, others will be popular ones.

“We will have a variety of different songs,” Simmons said. “We’ve got music by Paul Simon, the Mandalorian, and so on. There will be music we’ve performed in the past but also new songs. The audience at Sunday in the Park has been the best and we can’t wait to be back on stage.”

Every Thursday she said the Tar River Community Band has been rehearsing for their concert at the Town Common.

Simmons said the event is something many band members look forward to throughout the year. With the weather report of decent temperatures and no rain for this weekend she said, people can get ready for a “perfect” start of the season.

“I really just want to say that I invite everybody to come out and hear us play,” Simmons said. “There are going to be food trucks, vendors, all the fun stuff. Just come out and enjoy yourselves. Bring a chair. It's a lot of fun.”

Frank Johnson, a Greenville native, said he has been going with his wife and family to Sunday in the Park for the past 35 years.

His favorite thing about the summer concert series, he said, is the variety of different live music and spending time with his loved ones.

“You know, I’ve been coming to Sunday in the Park for many, many years,” Johnson said. “Some years we’ve got rained on, others we almost died of a heat stroke. But it was worth it for us. Each year we’re looking forward to spending time as a family together and listening to the music.”

For this summer, Johnson said, he will try and be part of each concert. For some dates, he said, he has even invited extended family members from other parts of the United States.

Johnson said having events like this in Greenville, it gives him hope there is still a sense of community in Eastern North Carolina.

“With phones and social media and all of that, I feel like people don’t get to come together so often anymore,” Johnson said. “With concerts like that, I do feel like there is still a community and that people are actually enjoying sharing this moment with one another.”

According to the Sunday in the Park schedule, the concert series is featuring a new band each week:

• June 4, Tar River Community Band
• June 11, Boneyard
• June 18, The Monitors
• June 25, Hank Pattie & The Current
• July 9, Panyelo
• July 16, Molasses Creek with Green Grass Cloggers
• July 23, Monterio Experience
• July 30, Love Tribe

For more information about Sunday in the Park, please visit the City of Greenville’s website or contact Megan Howard at (252) 329-4972.