Jackson Municipal Band’s summer concert series returns to Jackson City Park

The following story has been edited to reflect the difference between Rockin' the Rock Garden and the Jackson Municipal Band.

The Jackson Municipal Band kicks off its annual summer concert series at 7 p.m. tonight at the Nick Leist Memorial Band Shell in Jackson City Park.

“[This concert] will be the first one for this 2020 season, and we’re excited about it,” said Shane Anderson, director of the City of Jackson Parks and Recreation Department.

The series is scheduled to continue throughout July and into the first week of August, with performances at the same time and location every Thursday.

Each week, the Jackson Municipal Band will be joined by a different guest performer to provide local community members with a free source of musical entertainment.

Helping to kick off the season is Steel Blossoms, an Americana band based out of Nashville, Tennessee and fronted by former elementary school teachers Sara Zebley and Haley Amour. The group performs both original music and covers, and previously played as an opening act for country music singer Alan Jackson’s 2020 tour, according to its website.

Steel Blossoms will also perform at the ‘Rockin’ the Rock Garden’ concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday near Jackson Park’s Hubble Creek pedestrian bridge. The ‘Rockin’ the Rock Garden’ series is sponsored by the Jackson Parks and Recreation Department and is not associated with the Jackson Municipal Band.

Anderson said concert attendees will be asked to follow social distancing guidelines, as Jackson is only beginning the process of resuming park events following suspensions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he does not anticipate any difficulties on this front, as spectators will be free to spread out over an entire hillside while enjoying the performances. One of the benefits of an outdoor venue, Anderson said, is that it makes social distancing easy.

Concertgoers should use the park entrance across from McCombs Funeral Home off of Route D, and are encouraged to bring their own blankets, lawn chairs, and beverages to the site, as the venue will not provide seating or refreshments.