Chamber Concert Series Announced; Support Welcomed

In 1987 the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce took the residents and visitors to Blowing Rock back over a hundred years, to a time when Sunday concerts around a bandstand in the community park were as much a part of Americana as apple pie on a window ledge or hotdogs at the ballpark.
Over the next twenty years the concerts have grown in popularity with fans and has caught the eye of other towns and villages as well as the eye of those who single out specific cultural events for awards and honors.
The Chamber this week announced their Concert in the Park’s 20th Anniversary season, which begins on May 20 and concludes on October 7.
“This wonderful once a month Sunday afternoon traditions is a much anticipated and enjoyed opportunity for music lovers to gather at the gazebo in Memorial Park to hear some of the High Country’s most gifted musicians,” said Chamber coordinator Susan Gragg. “We are able to do this wonderful series free to the public because each years we have been able to benefit from the very generous support of both business and individual contributions from those who support the arts and the Chamber’s commitment to provide a quality experience for all visitors and residents of the town.”
The 2007 schedule for Concert in the Park opens on Sunday May 20 with Cans & Pans Steel Drum Band, a concert favorite since the first year of the Concert series. The popular dixieland jazz band, The Blue Notes, take centerstage in Memorial park on Sunday, June 17 and in August (12th) in keeping with the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of the Clans, the Chamber and Memorial Park will host the award winning Pipes & Drums of the Grandfather Mountain Highlanders.
On Sunday, September 9th, the Buck Haggard Band, with their special classic country, 1950s rock & roll, will rock downtown with some of the most familiar tunes from the past half century, and to conclude the Concert’s 20th anniversary season, the largest crowd of the season will turn out to see the famed Die Rheinlanders Oktoberfest Band, who will come to town to help celebrate the arrival of the autumn color season in the High Country.
As was the case over half a century ago, music fans can bring along their favorite snacks, lawn chairs or blankets and spend the evening listening to beautiful music under the towering trees in Memorial Park.
Concert in the Park was awarded the Governor’s Business Council on the Arts and Humanities award for its success in blending the business community with the arts. The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce was the first chamber ever to be recognized by the Governor’s Council.
While the Chamber does allocate some funding for the Concert in the Park, it does rely heavily on the generosity of both residential and business members of the Chamber for it support.
“To continue showcasing these wonderful musicians from our region we continue to need financial support from our friends,” said Susan Gragg. “All our concert contributors will receive acknowledgement in press releases throughout the season and those who contribute soon will be included on the Concert in the Park poster which will be printed and released within the next two weeks.
“Please take a moment and consider the ways in which our Sunday Concert in the Park has contributed to making Blowing Rock a special place, and those with more questions, or wishing more information on becoming a Concert sponsor may call 295-7851.”