Summer Concerts: Not Dead Yet

The Town Council budgeted funding for the 2020 Citizens for Central Park
summer concert series in the Fiscal Year 2020 budget which was finalized in last spring and adopted on June 2019.

However, with Citizens for Central Park pulling out, just how the concerts are going to take place is a question mark.

CCP President Hank Mayer told the Mirror, “Citizens for Central Park (CCP) received a set of new rules for 2020 concerts in the Park a few weeks before the end of this past season. Taken together they would make it very difficult to plan and manage a concert program next summer. Although there’s a Town budget line for next year’s concerts, it is smaller than the previous years, and thus put more of the financial burden on CCP. As an example, this year’s program cost about $18,000, of which CCP had to raise $10,000 vs $8,000 contributed by the Town. Combining all of this with the statement from the Town Manager that the concerts are not a priority of the Town, nor are they part of CCP’s mission, resulted in our small volunteer non-profit concluding that maybe it was time to call it a day.

However, Joan Natali and I had a productive and encouraging lunch with Mayor Smitty Dize earlier this week, and I had a good conversation with Jen Lewis, the Town’s Community Relations Manager the day after, with regard to some of these new rules. At this point, I would say that CCP is encouraged that it and the Town are on a path to establish a new stronger partnership that would support the concerts, along with the ongoing efforts to improve the Park. It is going to take a few months to see if it all the pieces come together, but we’re hopeful that there will be a Harbor for the Arts Summer Festival concert program in 2020 and the future.”

According to the town, concerts and community events will continue in Central Park for the 2020 season.

The Town is also preparing a full slate of concerts, evenings of music and food, and other family-friendly community events for next year, including evenings of music and food on Strawberry Plaza and at the Town Harbor.

The music in Strawberry Plaza will be held on Wednesday evenings.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase from local restaurants.

At least two concerts are also being planned at the Town Harbor to provide music for the boaters, guests and residents.