Summer Concert Series Celebrates 20 Years

Twenty years ago, about 50 people would get together during the lunch hour to listen to some live music outside city hall.

“I still remember the first ones,” says John Araujo, Campbell Recreations Supervisor. “We were yanking people out of city hall to make an audience for it.”

This seemingly small event ballooned from the initial 50 people, for four weeks during the lunchtime to about 800-1,200 people for 10 weeks in the evenings.

The is put together by the Campbell Recreation Department and is held in the  every Thursday, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. through August 23.

This year, eight out of the 10 bands are returning to Campbell as summer concert series veterans, Araujo says.

"And eight of the 10 are rock and roll bands because people love to get up and dance," he says.

New this year are the Shanks and Long Time Coming, he says. The last five concerts will host the five local favorites: Groove Kinds, Cocktail Monkeys, The Hitmen, Crocodiles and Sage.

"We have always wanted to offer some different sounds but people have expressed that they do like the rock and roll bands," Araujo says. "It’s a fun environment, for grandma and grandpa as well as kids. It's a family-oriented event. They will be safe."

Residents are invited to bring lawn chairs or beach towels--no blankets please--and either bring their own food and wine, but no hard liquor.

Pets are not allowed on the Orchard City Green, per city ordinance, he says.

"There's signage out front," Araujo says. "Other people do stay on the sidewalk, just as long as they’re not blocking traffic." 

New This Year

This year, the recreation department is doing something a little different. Before each concert, there will be a "pre-concert show" that invites residents to participate.

"We want people to get up with their kids and have fun," says Cynthia Bojorquez, Campbell Recreation Director.

Each activity will ring true to a theme of each concert.

"We want people to get up and move, get in the party spirit and get them to come to the Let’s Move, Let’s Play event in August," Bojorquez says.

Activities include:

• Zumba
• Line dancing
• Kid games (hula hoop, three legged races etc.)
• Pilates
• Spin bikes

Concert-goers may notice that there is a little more parking this year as well, this in part is because of the .

"The summer concerts will go really well outside," says Campbell Community Librarian . "We will be closed at 6:00 p.m. this year so there will also be more parking.”

The library will have an informational booth on three separate occasions advertising the library and its programs. 

For the Community

The event, now in its 20th year is free to the public but organizers do ask for a dollar donation to help with costs.

“The public has been really receptive to that,” Araujo says.

Bojorquez says that on average, they receive about $1,000 a week in donations. This money goes directly to the department to keep costs of programs and classes down.

The only organization allowed to sell anything at the weekly concerts is the Campbell Museums Foundation. Every week, the organization sells concessions: hot dogs, drinks and other goodies. Funds raised go to the Campbell Historical Museum and Ainsley House for programming and other costs.

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