Community bandstand events return

Evelyn grew up here in Brainerd and as a girl went with her family to concerts in a bandstand. She remembers the excitement as people began taking blankets to sit on the grass or chairs in the shade prior to the concerts starting.

Going early so that you were ready for the performers, and had your spot picked out was a weekly ritual for her family. Sometimes they would pick up her grandparents, have a picnic and then listen to the concert. It was a fun family event that they all looked forward to each week.

Evelyn, a member of the Lakes Area Senior Activity Center, read in the newsletter and in the Dispatch that the center had organized renovations to the bandstand and would be scheduling concerts in Gregory Park later in the summer. She was excited to see that the bandstand would again be used for community concerts and events.

Evelyn stopped into the senior center and asked when performances would begin and she was told that Thursday, July 29 at 6:30 p.m. would be the ribbon cutting and first concert. She has called several of her friends and told her neighbors encouraging them to attend the free concert also. This time around, she would be taking her lawn chair, enjoying the concert from a shady spot along with reminiscing bandstand events of years gone by.

DEANN BARRY is the Lakes Area Senior Activity Center director.