Summer Concert Series
DEER PARK SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
It’s a Saturday in summer. There’s not much going on. Settler’s Day is coming, but not here yet, or just passed. The Saturday Market was last week. What to do, that’s family friendly, fun, and free? Hey! If nothing else is happening in Deer Park in the summer – there’s the Summer Concert Series!
The Deer Park Summer Concert Series is an 8-Saturday local festival-style concert held at Mix Park, incorporating local youth organizations and talent, as well as high quality musical talent in our area. The festival atmosphere will be highlighted by the inclusion of a “vendor faire” and local food trucks/providers, as well as a beer garden. The concert will begin at 5:00 pm, with local youth talent. The “Headliner” will play from 6:00-8:00 pm. The dates for these concerts are June 14, 21 and 28; July 12 and 19; and August 9, 16 and 30. No conflict with the Saturday Market, Settler’s Day or the Clayton Fair.
The concert series has been around for about 18 years; the first promoter was Tom Edwards, previous owner of Mill Valley Homes in Deer Park. After almost 2 decades, he retired and Jeff Masters (Masters Brewhouse) and Nick Richardson (Greater Spokane Veterans) took over management of the series for 2 years. With the exception of COVID, the series only had a 1 year break until Hazel McGillivray (Deer Park Promotions) in partnership with Merrilee Shulz (Cloverleaf Education Services) assumed the leadership for the concert series in 2024.
The partnership of Deer Park Promotions and Cloverleaf Education Services has produced some changes to the concert series format to include education, youth and family-centric opportunities with an emphasis on local talent and community. As Hazel is known to say frequently, there is so much talent in the Deer Park area and no one even knows we are here! Not only do local youth talent have the opportunity to perform from the stage for the community, local youth organizations are also asked to become partners to provide operational volunteers for each of the concerts, with an opportunity to address the community as well as share in the proceeds of the “vendor faire”.
Hazel and Merrilee also brought onboard Zack Jordan, an accomplished professional musician and sound engineer from Elk, to manage the sound engineering and ensuring a professional quality to the concerts. His experience, knowledge and excellence in the local music industry is unparalleled. Remember Zack’s name, because he will be assuming the management of this series in years to come!
Deer Park Promotions and Cloverleaf Education Services, wish to thank all the sponsors, without whom this concert series would not be possible. Please watch for posters and a “traveling sponsorship banner” to honor those who have partnered financially with us. A website will also be coming soon. The top 8 sponsors will be acknowledged at each of the concerts, and given an opportunity to address the community as well as have an information booth right at the stage area, apart from the regular vendors.
T-shirts commemorating the concert, including a list of dates, opening and headlining acts, will be available at the Promotor’s table. They will also be available at Bear Necessities on Crawford Ave, and at the VFW and American Legion Club. Everyone who wears this year’s concert t-shirt to any of the concerts will have the opportunity to win a door prize awarded at each concert. So get your t-shirt early and show your support for local musicians and youth and community!
See you at the Deer Park Summer Concert Series!