Parks and Rec to bring the heat with Myers Park summer concert series

The Lansing summer concert series is set to return to Myers Park this July with planned high-octane performances and local food and drink vendors.

Over the years, the string of local shows at the park has become synonymous with summer fun for Tompkins County residents. This year, attendees can be treated to an ice-cold Lansing Fog New England India pale ale from Salt Point Brewing while enjoying renditions of classic rock hits from regional standout acts such asThe Destination. Concerts take place every Thursday starting at 6:30 p.m. The series runs from July 6 to Aug. 17.

“The concert series itself has been going on for several years now – around 15,” said Patrick Tyrell, supervisor of Lansing’s Department of Parks and Recreation. “They are really well attended, and we usually have several food trucks that come in.”

Below is a list of the artists’ lineup for this year’s concert series:

• The Ampersand Project – July 6
• Tailor Made – July 13
• City Limits – July 20
• Chasing Neon – July 27
• The Destination – Aug. 3
• Bad Alibi – Aug. 10
• 5th Gear Overdrive – Aug. 17

Tyrell said that the summer concert series has “developed into a great community-oriented activity.”

“It’s a nice event for Lansing residents and non-Lansing residents to come together,” he said. “We started introducing food vendors and beer and wine vendors several years ago. It’s just been a popular event throughout the community and in the region.”

The shows are free and open to everyone. Donations at the door are optional, Tyrell said.

“People bring out lawn chairs and sit out there with their blankets in the center section, ready to enjoy the music,” he added.

The summerlong event is also getting a boost this year, thanks to a $26,000 grant from the Community Arts Partnership (CAP). 

“It is going to allow us to get some bigger bands in here and just offer a better and better program overall,” Tyrell said.

This year, CAP is distributing a record-high $561,000 across numerous artists, arts organizations and nonprofits in Tompkins County. The grant programs will reach more than 1,100 local artists working on public arts events, community projects and in-school residencies.

The increased funds are for three of CAP’s five grant programs: Grants for Arts Programs, Artist in Community Grants, and Arts Education Grants. All three are part of the New York State Council on the Arts’ (NYSCA) statewide community regrant (SCR) program, made available in all counties across New York.

“We at CAP are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide funding throughout Tompkins County

for diverse and exciting arts programming that benefits local artists and audiences alike,” Robin Schwartz, CAP’s program and grant director, said in a press release.

The organization applied for and received increased funding from NYSCA, Schwartz said. Tompkins County then matched said funds, bringing the total for the SCR grants from $60,480 in prior years to $240,000 in 2023 – an increase of almost 300%.

The first SCR grant cycle took place in March, when CAP awarded funds to 63 organizations and artists. Schwartz said that CAP expects to be able to fund an additional 40 requests in June, bringing the SCR total to 103 awards in 2023, up from 44 in 2022.

Since its 1992 beginnings, CAP has distributed over $6.5 million through its grant programs.

Beyond the summer concert series, the town’s Department of Parks and Recreation offers ample programming for residents in the summer. Part of the programming includes the Myers Park summer day camp, which has five different four-day sessions in July for children ages 5-12.

The day camp is one of the longest running in the area, according to a booklet provided by the Department of Parks and Recreation. The program features several traditional camp games, sports, crafts, picnic lunches, quiet reading time under the trees and field trips. In prior years, attendees have visited the Hangar Theater, toured local farms, played miniature golf and gone swimming.

“We want to promote the health and well-being of our youth, including mental health and physical health,” Tyrell said. “It brings our youth together and provides them with great opportunities to socialize.”

Information on summer youth programs in the town of Lansing can be found at https://www.lansingrec.com/parksrec/page/2023-summer-program-booklet. Lansing at Large appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com. Contact Eddie Velazquez at edvel37@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ezvelazquez.