Gazebo Nights wraps up 2026 season with final two shows

Merrill’s Gazebo Nights summer concert series closed out its 2026 run with back-to-back headliners that sent the season out on a high note, giving neighbors one more excuse to grab a lawn chair, pack a cooler, and settle in at Normal Park before August drew to a close.
The second-to-last show, on Thursday, Aug. 20, brought Evan Garski out as the opening act, sponsored by Chips. Then classic rock band Blindside took to the Gazebo stage. The band, playing together in various lineups for roughly 25 years, worked through a set built for dancing, mixing well-known rock and blues tunes from the 1970s to today with a few deeper cuts thrown in for good measure. Backed by tight three-part harmonies and sharp musicianship, it was an evening made for kicking back and relaxing. SGS, Crossbridge Community Bank, Ed & Sharon’s, and Merrill Millwork were the weekly sponsors; Luther Memorial Church ran the food stand; the Lincoln County Humane Society hosted the 50/50 raffle; and the Masons kept popcorn popping for the crowd.
The series wrapped for the summer with its final show last Thursday, Aug. 27. Evan Garski again opened the night, sponsored by Chips. Then attendees were treated to a double dose of country from Red Higgins, Lisa Marie, and the Freedom Train. Higgins, a northern Wisconsin native and Nashville recording artist, has built a résumé that includes national radio and television appearances along with stops at casinos, festivals, and county and state fairs, and he brought that same high-energy show to the Gazebo. He and his band showcase classic country with covers of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, and Elvis, plus a bit of old-school rock and roll, alongside original material rooted in traditional country and country gospel. Higgins teamed up with his wife, Lisa Marie, for a run of country’s best-known duets, with Lisa Marie also taking the lead on Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Patsy Cline favorites. Ziebell Door Company, First Weber agents Kevin Blake and Dennis Humber, Mayor Steve Hass, and Reindl Printing Company sponsored the final evening’s entertainment, with the Trinity LJHA Alumni Scholarship running the food booth and the Merrill Foundation’s Hanging Basket Project benefiting from the 50/50 raffle.
With beautiful weather rounding out the final entertainment of the series, Bell Tower residents were transported by bus to Normal Park to enjoy the classics on the final night of the 2026 season.
Gazebo Nights organizers thanked Thorogood, a division of Weinbrenner Shoe Company, for being the 2026 season’s branding sponsor, and Generations Funeral Home, for being the 2026 season’s park sponsor.
Organizers and sponsors alike can look back on another summer of free, family-friendly entertainment that turned Thursday nights at Normal Park into one of Merrill’s favorite weekly traditions. With the ongoing support of sponsors for 2027, organizers are hoping to put together another lineup of entertaining performers for next summer. For more information about becoming a 2027 Gazebo Nights sponsor, contact Gus Caylor at 715.297.4309.