That’s the story with the popular Thursday Night Concert Series, back for a seventh summer at Gage Park – as presented by the Investors Group.
This 13-week series features a potpourri of acts taking in jazz, folk, classic rock, swing, and, of course, the Brampton Concert Band.
“It goes very, very well and it’s growing every single year,” says Bill Charles, the event’s co-coordinator, and regional director of the Investors Group-Brampton. “It’s a great community event, and especially on a good summer’s night.”
Co-organizer Lisa Wright, manager of marketing and events for the Brampton Downtown Development Corporation (BDDC) notes that this event keeps with the century-old tradition of hearing live music in Gage Park – with its flowers, 100-year-old trees, wading pool, and landmark white gazebo.
“It’s really quite lovely,” she says. “You will see families out there with their wagons. Their kids play, and then they’re introduced to some great jazz.”
“To have a park like this in the downtown is very unusual,” she adds. “You’re in the middle of the downtown. Hurontario St. is running by, yet you’re not impacted because of the trees.”
The entertainment is booked by Charles, Wright, and downtown businessman David Harmsworth (owner of Harmsworth Decorating Centre), who also plays trumpet with both the Jazz Mechanics and the Brampton Concert Band (of which he is president).
For your listening pleasure
This summer’s lineup includes: RK Sound Everywhere Dixieland Night on July 3; The Sultans Of String on July 10; A Tribute To Sinatra and Friends – The Jazz Mechanics with Jeff Sommerville on July 17; The Brampton Concert Band – A Night At The Movies on July 24; Brampton Folk Club on July 31; The Jazz Mechanics Salute To Canadian Jazz on August 7; Paul Pacanowski Quartet with Kathleen Diamond on Aug. 14; Brampton Concert Band and the Lorne Scots – “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” on Aug. 21; and The Bluesual Suspects on Aug. 28.
Attendance averages about 500 people per show, peaking with the three-day Classic Cars & Legendary Stars celebration, July 17 to 19 in Gage Park.
That event is traditionally kicked off by a Thursday Night Concert Series presentation of the Jazz Mechanics with Jeff Sommerville. This year they will be joined by a male guest doing Dean Martin, and some Big Band sounds.
“We have a lot of tried and true favourites coming out every year, or every second year,” Wright says. “And we try to bring in some new stuff based on chatting with the audience.”
The Investors Group emcees the shows, while local businesses donate prizes given away every week. With any donation to the Tour For Kids cause (for children battling cancer), fans have a chance to win these prizes.
This year the Investors Group and the BDDC have been joined by new sponsors, the Brampton Guardian, and Jewel FM 88.5. Charles says his company’s involvement stems from the belief that it’s important to give back, and the desire “to put our name on a signature event.”
“Number one, it’s the right thing to do. Number two, we can raise money for a great cause -- last year we raised over $20,000 for kids in our community fighting cancer,” he says. “It also gives the community something to enjoy in downtown Brampton. And obviously we get a lot of good exposure because of it. It’s a win-win.”
Don’t count Charles among those who say it’s pulling teeth to get suburbanites to check out their own downtown.
“I don’t think so,” he comments.
“I think the challenge is getting the word out – because this event has been going on for a number of years, and we get a lot of repeats who come week after week, year after year.
The challenge is to get the word out that this is going on in downtown Brampton.”
“I think sometimes people don’t want to drive to downtown Toronto at the end of the work day,” he continues. “They want to take a walk downtown and enjoy the city of Brampton. I think it’s going very well with the Rose Theatre and the revitalization plans. That’s making a marked difference. And I think people look forward to it.”
