On Wednesday, June 26, the Merrill City Band will begin the 2013 concert season in the gazebo at Normal Park. Performances are every Wednesday night through Aug. 7. In the event that two or more concerts are rained out, a makeup date will be added on Aug. 14. Concerts this year will begin a half hour later, at 7:30 p.m. Director Linda Becker promises a summer of great concerts and a lot of fun along the way.
The opening concert celebrates the “Three Ring Circus.” There will be pre-concert entertainment and concessions will be available throughout the night. The Lions Club will be selling hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, potato chips, soda, and water beginning at 5:30 p.m. (You can also get great Lions Club food at the Lincoln County Fair, as well as BBQ chicken at the Kitchenette park on Crazy Days.)
Opening night will include a Ringmaster, with the city band in the center circle, Dick Lokemoen’s Wurlitzer Band Organ in another circle, and entertainment, including juggler John Kilgust, in the other circle. The kids can enjoy face painting, a stuffed animal parade (bring your favorite one), a “tightrope” contest, and more. The band encourages you to get in the spirit of things and join them in dressing up in circus attire for the evening.
The rest of the season celebrates such themes as, “Yankee Doodle Dandy” on July 3, “A, E, I, O, U, and Sometimes Y,” “This Concert Is So Cliche,” “M & M’s with guest director Michael Chula,” and “MCB Meets BBB Meets PPP.”
The final concert on Aug. 7, “So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good-bye,” will be in conjunction with National Night Out to kick off the Merrill Police Department Crime Prevention Initiative. There will be displays by the Police Department, the Merrill Fire Department, and Lincoln County Crime Stoppers. Information on crime prevention and activities for kids, along with food and beverages will be available.
Each concert will have a 50/50 raffle and gift certificates from local businesses will be given away. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets to enjoy the sounds of the city band. And why wait till 7:30? Get there early, bring a picnic supper (or buy a supper from local organizations when available), and treat yourself to a little camaraderie in the park before the music begins.