Bands and Beats will bring diverse regional bands to the Zimmerli Amphitheater Stage, offering free live music from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Saturdays. The concert series will feature Remedy 58 on November 23.
In 2015, the S.C. Arts Commission awarded cultural district status to the City of Spartanburg for Downtown Spartanburg. The district is about four-square blocks from Barnet Park to Spartanburg Community College’s downtown campus on Kennedy Street, west on Kennedy to the Grain District, and bordered on its northern edge by the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. Beats in Barnet Park is a new experience which will be held in the Spartanburg Downtown Cultural District, as an added cultural event.
Chapman Cultural Center President and CEO, Jennifer Evins, is thrilled to be activating Barnet Park with a regular music series that is free to attend. “People want regular music. They want to build routines”, Evins said. “We conducted a survey and found out people want concerts on Saturday nights, and particularly, they asked for Barnet Park.”
This free event is a new way for Spartanburg residents to become engaged and experience live musical programming. “Providing a safe and family-friendly environment was a common theme of many of the survey participants. The setting of Barnet Park is a great space for children to play while the family enjoys live music,” said David Ocasio, Chapman Cultural Center Marketing & Communications Director.
With the size and diversity of bands, the concerts are expected to reach new audiences and provide listeners with a range of musical and cultural experiences.
Erica Brown, City Council District 6 Representative, said, “The city is very excited about partnering with CCC for the launch of Bands and Beats. We hope this new event will draw more people to downtown with their families and open more opportunities for them to explore what our cultural district has to offer along with our local businesses.”
While there will currently be no vendors with food and drink items for purchase, attendees are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, and picnic baskets with their favorite foods and beverages. Bands and Beats offers the perfect opportunity for families to enjoy a free musical experience for the evening and stop by downtown Spartanburg’s restaurants afterward or enjoy a meal in the park.
“People can bring blankets and stay all afternoon into the evening since the event ends at 7:30 pm, it leaves plenty of time for attendees to enjoy other events happening at Chapman Cultural Center and in the Cultural District,” Evins said.
The Chapman Cultural Center and Barnet Park is located on East Saint John St in downtown Spartanburg, SC. Please visit www.ChapmanCulturalCenter.org for more information.
Prepared by Chapman Cultural Center.