Turn the music up and dance to the notes of California-based artists at Cesar Chavez Plaza in downtown Sacramento for the 31st annual free event, Concerts in the Park, every Friday, from May 3 to June 26 from 5-9 p.m.
Concerts in the Park is an annual Sacramento-based event that hosts over three bands or artists every Friday, for a night of singing, dancing and rocking. Along with live music the event will host a varying amount of vendors and activities such as Silent Disco, vintage vendors, food and a bar.
Event manager of Concerts in the Park Amelia Chew said this live event will have something for attendees of all ages to enjoy.
“This free festival series is not just entertainment, but a hub for locals who are doing new and exciting things,” Chew said. “There are enough activities and spaces within Cesar Chavez Plaza that make Concerts in the Park a great place for anyone.”
Concerts in the Park does their best to curate and choose local and unique artists all over the Sacramento area, such as Arden Park Roots who are the opening act for the event on Friday.
“We recognize that Sacramento is a highly diverse city and we try our best to reflect that by booking bands that span across many different genres,” Chew said. “We also try our best to highlight local bands that really reflect the sound of our city, so you can expect to catch two to three local bands a week.”
Arden Park Roots is a Sacramento-based band well-known for their California rock/reggae music and have been inducted into the Sacramento Hall of Fame, said the guitarist and vocalist for the band Tyler Campbell.
“It’s our favorite show of the year,” Campbell said. “This will be like our 12th or 13th time playing the event. We are excited to be playing opening night because you know it will be just a magical evening.”
Arden Park Roots will be playing alongside some other well known artists, such as Eazy Dub, DJ Davy and Ryder Thieves. Outside of unique and local artists, the event will also host vendors curated by the vintage retail market World’s Worst Expo.
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World’s Worst Expo is partnering with Concerts in the Park to give local and small business vendors a chance to display their one-of-a-kind vintage clothing pieces. World’s Worst event organizer Casey Mann said they will choose vendors who focus on selling local brands and products outside of their usual vintage realm.
“We’re excited to be partnering with other events, to help bring forth a more collaborative effort within the Sacramento area,” Mann said. “Our main goal is to kind of just get familiar with everything going on in the city and make something cool.”
Mann said that along with bringing a new vibe to this event they will curate their vendors to fit the style of the artists playing. They will have a new batch of 10 to 12 vendors at every event.
Along with the curation of vintage vendors, there will also be other activities for attendees to enjoy every Friday.
“In addition to great music, attendees can expect to see different activation worlds within our event,” Chew said. “We have expanded our footprint this year, which gives us the chance to give a platform to more entrepreneurs, creatives and community builders.”
Chew also said, Concerts in the Park has been an annual event since its introduction in 1992, when it was first organized by the Arts and Cultural Entertainment district’s master plan commissioned by Mayor Joe Serna Jr. as a way to bring more fun and life to the area.
Since its introduction the event has changed greatly and expanded into the event fans enjoy today.
“We have spent the last 31 seasons growing, and now offer a variety of activities, like a more robust bar, a competitive national touring lineup and community partners,” Chew said. “All with the intent of producing California’s longest-running free music festival.”
Chew said there have been over 75,000 attendees in total for the event series and they are expecting more this year, especially with their new and exciting musical lineup.
“Concerts in the Park embodies a lot,” Chew said. “It’s your favorite Friday hang out, but better. It’s community, culture and a celebration of Sacramento.”
