My favourite thing about the summer around here is that you really don’t have to go far to find some great live music to listen to.
At times, it seems like everyone in town has something going on from a musical perspective and it’s just great.
The buskers at the Sunday Farmers Market are always worth stopping and listening to for a while, especially when you have a little girl who loves to dance, dance, dance to music.
Beyond things like that, though, there are also a few really great music series that are taking place around Summerland that bring some really excellent music to town and offer up a great mix of local talent and touring acts.
The first concert series takes place at okanagan Crush Pad, Okanagan on June 30.
This concert series has been going strong for a few years now and has always been a blast to check out.
Not only is the venue an excellent spot to take in live music, with great views and a fairly intimate outdoor setting, but the musical variety always keeps things interesting, everything from singer-songwriter to jazz and blues, with a few stops in between.
I’m not only looking forward to seeing the musical acts performing here this summer, but I’m also really looking forward to performing here this season.
The summer concert series at Okanagan Crush Pad starts on June 30 with musical duo Victoria Road and runs every other Thursday until the end of August.
For more information contact Okanagan Crush Pad at 250-494-4445.
The following week, Wednesdays on the Water starts at Spirit Square at Peach Orchard Beach.
This is a great free concert series that takes place down on the waterfront during the summer.
The really nice thing about this event, besides all the great music and the waterfront views at dusk, is that this is a very family friendly event.
Along with the music, there are playgrounds, water parks, beaches, volleyball and more for people to enjoy. It even takes place during family friendly hours, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., so you won’t be keeping any young ones up too late.
Wednesdays on the Water starts on July 6 with a performance by the excellent South Okanagan Big Band and continues every Wednesday until Aug. 31.
For more information about bands and times visit the Summerland Community Arts Council online at: summerlandarts.com/events/wednesdays-on-the-water
I love not having all the space I need to talk about the live music happening around Summerland.
There are a few more music series that I’ll talk about more in the coming weeks.
Douglas Paton is a Summerland writer and musician. If you know of a local arts and culture event, contact him at dgpaton80@gmail.com.