The following is a message from the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC):
The popular Free Concerts in the Park summer concerts series returns reinvigorated this summer to Flood’s Hill in Meadowland Park, 70 North Ridgewood Road, South Orange, NJ.
For twenty years, Free Concerts in the Park has entertained families and visitors to South Orange each Wednesday night in July. Now under a new name, with expanded opportunities for fun, South Orange Summer Nights presents “Taste the Music” –concerts, food trucks, and activities for kids and families.
For more information and full schedule, visit the SOPAC website.
The music, featuring an exciting line-up of some of today’s top performers in soul, reggae, pop, rock ‘n roll and more begins at 7:30 PM and is free to attend, no tickets required. In the event of inclement weather, all events will be canceled.
The schedule:
July 1–Mark Murphy and Friends, an evening of performances by singer-songwriters.
July 8th–Max Headroom and the Counterfeiters take the stage. Considered the “New Kids on the Block,” Max Headroom is a totally rad Journey through the 80’s – a must see tribute band. The Counterfeiters are the best of the best 80’s and 90’s party-rock band turning every performance into a night to remember.
July 15- Dub Proof & Eastbourne step up the summer heat. Dub Proof is a reggae-groove oriented band known for its hardworking attitude and freewheeling shows. Eastbourne is a three-piece Latin Reggae Surf Rock band – Skaggae Rock, if you will – who promise a raw, live performance that will have your heads banging and your hips shaking.
July 22- Rave On! & Bottle Cap Rockets. The music of Rave On! and the Bottle Cap Rockets is steeped in the earliest forms of rock and roll. The bands are living proof that Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison and the music of early rock and roll is timeless.
July 29- Rock the Hill returns for its seventh year delighting audiences at Meadowland Park with its eclectic mix of local and visiting garage rock bands.
Pre-concert activities begin at 6pm when the food trucks start to arrive. Amanda Bananas, Oink and Moo BBQ, Pizza Vita, The Original Soup Man and The Thai Elephant will offer yummy treats or a full dinner to discerning food lovers.
Free art in the park for kids and families also will begin at 6pm. Week one features a rare visit from the Montclair Art Museum Art Truck. The MAM Art Truck is a mobile studio, housed in a retrofitted ice cream truck that offers art projects and lessons to MAM’s community. In addition, Denise Hayden, known for her popular Funky Fun Art classes and vacation camps at the Baird will present a new art project each week for kids and families to try.
This year’s program is co-presented by the Village of South Orange, The Baird, and South Orange Performing Arts center. The 2015 Free Concerts in the Park Series is made possible in part by funding from the BCB Community Bank and Maplecrest Ford-Lincoln and the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.
For more information, call the Village of South Orange at (973) 378-7457 or visit the website. Or call SOPAC at (973) 313-2787 or visit the website.
SOPAC programs are made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is a 501(c)(3)charitable organization.
About SOPAC
Since 2006, SOPAC has been serving as a premier performing arts center in the region. SOPAC offers innovative artistic and cultural experiences for diverse audiences in an intimate, inviting environment. The premier arts center hosts a variety of live performances, community events and education programs for all ages. To further expand its offerings, SOPAC has a partnership with the Juilliard School of Music to present Juilliard @ SOPAC-a series featuring upcoming musicians from the acclaimed conservatory. SOPAC is home for Seton Hall University Arts Council’s performances, including Classical Concert Series, Jazz ‘n the Hall performances and Seton Hall Theatre productions. SOPAC also presents performances by its theater company in residence, Midtown Direct Rep, and its dance company in residence, Lydia Johnson Dance. For more information, visit SOPACnow.org
