The end of summer also means the end of yet another successful Thursday concert series, as Gazebo Nights at Normal Park concluded their 12th year. Concert organizers, Gus and Val Caylor, along with Mike Mensching from MGM Entertainment, start planning the music the summer before, bringing in acts from all over the state. This year eight bands played over nine weeks with a surprise concert being held the last Thursday in August. “We had an extra Thursday this year, so we looked at the checkbook and said why not?” said Valerie Caylor.
Looking back at this year’s concerts, Michael “Gus” Caylor said they were happy to see the large crowds and more importantly, the chance to give back to the community. “When we first took it over from the founders, Mike and Karen Karow, they emphasized how important it was to help the non-profits,” Gus said. “At first, we found it difficult to find food vendors; however, as soon as they heard about our great bands and crowds, we had them lining up to help.”
In 2022, the Lion’s Club, Merrill Boys Basketball, Boy Scouts, VFW, Luther Memorial Church, and Journey Church all took turns being food providers, and the groups brought in more than $7,000 combined.
The Merrill Bluejay Girls Tennis Team did a “tempting treat sale” weekly that brought in a total of nearly $600 for that team.
A record year was also enjoyed by Larry and Pat Peeters and their popcorn team. That team’s success started popping early when Shelby and Trevor Dzwonkowski of the Cosmo Theatre donated 100 pounds of popcorn. Turns out 100 pounds was nowhere near enough thanks to the Gazebo Nights crowds. Larry and Pat ended up buying and donating $100 for more popcorn, along with more oil and a new popper. When the season was over, they donated $1,392 to Relay for Life, a project very near and dear to their hearts and many of ours, as well.
The biggest winner this year was the Lincoln County Humane Society. A group of organizers coordinated by Marlene Graap and Debbie Alvin sold 50/50 raffle tickets each week. The weekly collections were all well over $1,000 before the split, with the largest amount coming in during the Rising Phoenix concert when the Humane Society netted over $1,480. Several winners of the raffle donated a portion of their winnings back to the group. In the end, the group collected $7,420 for the season, with 100% of the money going to help the homeless, hungry, neglected, injured, and abused animals who call the shelter their temporary home.
Now that the season is complete, Gus Caylor emphasized it could not be done without their sponsors. “Once again the great crew at Weinbrenner were our branding sponsors, and it is thanks to their financial support that we have been able to raise the bar when it comes to entertainment each week,” Gus said. “We also look forward to meeting our weekly sponsors every Thursday and hearing from them and all the good they do for the community. In the end, we are proud to be able to provide great entertainment, showcase our wonderful business community, and give back over $16,000 to our local non-profits.”
“Thanks, Merrill!” Valerie said. “Once again you showed what makes our community such a wonderful play to live, work, and play!”
The 2023 concert series is already being planned with a potential theme of, “Return to Riverfest.”