Summer concert series a sign of good things to come
CONCORD, CA — Happy summer, Concord.
I hope you enjoyed a festive 4th of July. My family, friends and I certainly did out at the Concord Pavilion. It was a great kickoff to an exciting schedule of in-person events happening throughout the city, both in the downtown and at the Pavilion.
As I have said many times in this column and elsewhere, these last 16 months have been incredibly challenging – personally, professionally and otherwise. Our businesses and our residents have suffered. Sixteen months later, we can finally say that we really have turned the corner.
Our citywide vaccination rate is 60 percent fully vaccinated. The state has lifted mandates and restrictions, and our businesses are finally allowed to operate at full capacity.
This is cause for celebration. The city has reopened its facilities and, more importantly, has scheduled a number of community events to bring residents and visitors together for family fun that we haven’t seen since the summer of 2019.
Music and Market returns
I am so proud to announce that Music and Market – our traditional Thursday night event in Concord’s “living room” – is back as of July 15. Zydeco Flames kicked off the series, which continues for 12 weeks until the final evening on Sept. 30. Our city staff has worked hard to book an incredible lineup of acts that will keep you rockin’ and rollin’ all summer long.
And this may go without saying, but the Thursday evening farmers market is back in Todos Santos Plaza as well with farm-fresh produce and hot food vendors to keep us all well fed through the night and beyond. My kids are always up for some kettle corn.
In addition to the concerts, we are working on scheduling a movie night in Newhall Park for early August – stay tuned for more details.
Golf tournament
One of our city traditions that I have been sorry to miss for the last two years is the annual mayor’s golf tournament held at the city-owned facility, Diablo Creek Golf Course. Although it’s typically held in May, we’ve canceled two spring events due to COVID. This year, we’ve rescheduled it for Friday, Oct. 22.
This is a charity tournament that will raise money for nonprofits such as First Tee, the Concord Historical Society and the Concord Junior Giants. I invite you all to participate. More information will be forthcoming.
I truly am excited to celebrate our community reopening with you. Please join us for an upcoming city event and stay tuned for more information about opportunities to connect with me, my City Council colleagues and our city staff over the coming months.
Mayor Tim McGallian can be reached at 925.671.2489 or email Tim.McGallian@cityofconcord.org