Summer concert season is upon us. Here’s how one venue is looking to expand
Lemont is attempting to put its money where its musical mouth is.
From 2-5 p.m. Sunday, the Lemont Village Association is putting on "Raise the Roof: Band Shelter Benefit Concert," which is designed to raise money to build a structure for musical performances on the Lemont Village Green space.
“(There will be ) four bands, a beer garden, wine garden, food trucks, and it’s raising money to build a shelter for the Village Green," Lemont resident and event contributor Jonathan McVerry said. "This is a nice, official looking, permanent pavilion.”
Plans are to build the shelter where musicians perform in summer during the Friday concert series on the Village Green, which kicks off for the season on Friday. The addition would be the next step in a steadily evolving space.
"It’s a permanent pavilion, so it has a roof, electricity and no sides," Lemont Village Association Vice-President Cathy Cohen said. "It’ll be built to be consistent with the other historic structures there. It’ll look a lot more aesthetically pleasing.”
Sunday's event will feature a lot of what usually goes on during the Friday concert series, but with a little more production behind it — attendees can expect lots of music, food and a welcoming, neighborly feel.
“It’s taking what they do on Fridays and making it more grand,” McVerry said.
The music will be a diverse array of local talent consisting of local acts including Ken Baxter, Darryl Branford and Friends, Biscuit Jam, Lowjack Lite, Richard Sleigh and the Unbanned.
“Having been born and raised in Lemont, it's a privilege to be involved with the Lemont Village Association, which has been working tirelessly for almost 40 years to make Lemont the vibrant community it is today," Unbanned guitarist and singer Noah Figlin said.
While most of the Lemont Village Association's fundraising supports the Granary, Sunday's event is specifically to raise money for the construction of the band pavilion, Cohen said.
Lemont has been a beacon of light in the local arts scene, with the Lemont Village Association leading the way in many respects. Raise the Roof, the June 9 Strawberry Festival and the Friday concert series that runs through Aug. 31 are just some of the ways Lemont is a leader in the local arts community. The leadership impacts residents like McVerry, and also benefits local businesses.
“As a music lovers, we’re happy for the artists to get an upgrade to the facilities at the Lemont Village Green that will provide a bit of shelter from the elements for all the activities held there and as a sort of unofficial neighborhood hub,” Café Lemont owner Mike Beck said. “Everyone at Café Lemont is always thrilled to see improvements to the community that continue to make life here in Lemont so special.”
If you go
What: Raise the Roof Band Shelter Benefit Concert
When: 2-5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Lemont Village Green, 133 Mount Nittany Road, Lemont
Info: www.lemontvillage.org
This story was originally published May 30, 2018 at 11:08 AM with the headline "Summer concert season is upon us. Here’s how one venue is looking to expand."