Peony Festival time in Fountain Park

I look at the calendar and can hardly believe we are less than two weeks from the start of Fountain Park Summer Music once again.  Actually, this Friday the Van Wert Area Community Concert Band will kick things off in Fountain Park with their first concert of the season.  Starting at 7 p.m. this Friday, bring your chairs and blankets to the park and enjoy some good band music presented by local music makers. I am sure director Richard Sherrick has the band primed for a great concert.

Then on Friday, June 2, the first of nine Fountain Park Summer Music concerts will help you celebrate the Peony Festival with a band from the Indianapolis area called Groove Essential. This band is comprised of some of the top musicians from that area’s music industry and has become one of the most in-demand bands for weddings and corporate functions.  Their playlist goes on forever and is filled with song after song you will enjoy listening and dancing to if you wish.

I wanted this first concert of the year, associated with the Peony Festival to be lively and help create a party atmosphere.  In Groove Essential, I believe we have found one of the most enjoyable bands in the Midwest to help us accomplish just that. The songs you will hear will include everything from the 60’s to current Pop hits and everything from Motown and Disco to Pop and Rock, including timeless ballads and classics. 

Of course, like all Peony Festivals, Fountain Park will be surrounded with food vendors and fun activities for you to enjoy. Then the live music with Groove Essential begins at 7 p.m., just like all our other summer concerts.  Get ready for summer; it’s right around the corner!

On the inside track of music at the Niswonger, we just finished our season with a high energy concert for a sold-out crowd with REO Speedwagon. It was quite a production with all the lighting and effects.  It was certainly one of, if not the finest light shows we ever had on our stage. The audience enjoyed classic rock hit songs as well as some new material from this timeless Rock Band. It has certainly been a year to remember at the Niswonger where you get everything from Mutts Gone Nuts to The Boston Pops Orchestra to REO Speedwagon.  One would be hard pressed to say there wasn’t something for most everyone.

We are now in the midst at the Niswonger in selling the new Enrich Community Concert Series. Nearly 500 seats have been sold in the past three weeks. This series of four concerts features The Five Browns, the Canton Symphony with our own Gerhardt Zimmermann, Christmas with the Texas Tenors, and Cirque Zuma Zuma — a very entertaining acrobatic and musical show featuring African acrobats and performers.  

Your best opportunity to reserve your seats for this affordable yet highly entertaining and “enriching” series of concerts is right now. Your best opportunity for seats for The Texas Tenors is within this series. Whatever seats remain unsold will go on sale individually later this summer.

To learn about the entire 2017-18 Niswonger Season, plan on attending our Unveiling on June 14 in the First Federal Lecture Hall at noon. The 11th season at the Niswonger is designed to knock you off your feet with featured artists and stars you won’t want to miss. Mark your calendars for June 14. It’s always an exciting event!

FINÉ.