Dowagiac’s Music in the Park is returning for 12 weeks of live entertainment and food trucks this summer starting Thursday, June 8 at the Dowagiac Library Event Pavilion on the corner of New York Avenue and Main Street.
Organizer Zena Burns tells us they’ve added two weeks to this year’s schedule based on popular demand from the community, and aim to please with a mix of new and returning vendors and musicians.
“Last year we found that people were saying ‘hey, the series ended while it was still warm out, Kids may have been back in school, but it’s still a great family event,'” Burns said. “So, thanks to our generous sponsors, we were able to extend the series to 12 shows this year.”
Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. each Thursday, with food vendors opening at 6:15 p.m. The vendors include rotating restaurants including Tienda y Taqueria Del Rey, Oak + Ash, Sammy Arepas, Nola Roux, Kona Ice, The Baker’s Rhapsody, and more to be announced throughout the series.
The music lineup will be just as diverse as the food lineup, according to Burns, with bands ranging in genre from country, bluegrass, Celtic, Carribean, soul, pop, R&B, rock and even a funk-heavy jam band.
“What we have found is that people in the Dowagiac community and surrounding communities are really there primarily for the comraderie,” Burns said. “It’s a great place to get outdoors, enjoy some fellowship, some great food and some free music. They also really want to discover new music people they haven’t heard before, so we try really hard to always add some new acts to the lineup each year.
The concerts are presented for free thanks to sponsors Lyons Industries, Southwest Michigan College, Honor Credit Union, and StayDowagiac.com:
2023 schedule
June 8 | SMC Brass Band | Brass Band
June 15 | On The Lash | Original Celtic Folk
June 22 | Skeletones | R&B, Soul, Blues, and Motown
June 29 | Ada LeAnn | Award-Winning Pop Singer/Songwriter
July 6 | Out of Favor Boys | Blues Tinged With Rock ‘n Roll
July 13 | Schlitz Creek | Bluegrass With Some Bite
July 20 | Lauren Dukes Band | Neo-Soul, R&B, and Blues
July 27 | Touch of Texas | Variety and Classic Country at the Cruise-In
August 3 | The Erika Scherry Band | Country, Rock, and Pop Favorites
August 10 | Hodie Snitch | Your Daddy’s Country Music
August 17 | Caribbean Soul Experience | Caribbean, Soul, and R&B
August 24 | Covington Groove | Rock ‘n Roll with Jam, Funk, and Soul
For more information, visit DowagiacMusic.com. Vendors and sponsors interested in participating can reach out to Burns at zb@zenaburns.com.
