By Jim Bloch
The St. Clair County Community Foundation has granted $35,000 to St. Clair’s Rockin’ the Plaza, the concert series that features more than 130 shows Wednesdays-Sundays throughout the late spring, summer and early fall.
The grant came from the nine endowed funds that make up the St. Clair Endowment Funds.
“The concerts feature a variety of genres, including pop, country, and rock; $15,000 of the grant was earmarked for weekly jazz concerts,” said Laura Fitzgerald in a story Sept. 3 on foundation’s website.
“We’re trying to give everyone a nice welcome coming into town and then entice them to see the entire town after that,” said Bryan Ulatowski, president of St. Clair Chamber of Commerce, in a statement. The chamber produces the concerts in the courtyard of Riverview Plaza in downtown St. Clair.
Ulatowski said the concerts draw 1,200 people to the plaza every week, a key factor in keeping the semi-enclosed mall busy and buzzing over the past five years.
“When you come in to see the concerts, you’re going past a lot of little things in town that you may not have known about. So, it brings people into town,” he said. “And people are finding out more and more about the other little hidden gems that we have here.”
Businesses owners appreciate the boost.
“We have 11 restaurants, and this is the first time in 35 years of business that I have seen an entity like the Community Foundation bring the customer to the business,” Jim Tavano, owner of the Hamlin Pub in the plaza, told the community foundation in April. “The marketing, advertising and other promotions are done for you, especially with the events they host in the St. Clair Plaza. As sports bars, most of our other restaurants see a drop in the summer months; the St. Clair Hamlin Pub sees growth in traffic during the summer.”
In her story, Fitzgerald noted that the concerts function as a critical component of placemaking in St. Clair, serving as a magnet for the community and visitors and turning an “ordinary area into a vibrant destination where people come to visit, connect, and enjoy.”
“Certainly, the businesses in the plaza are supported by the concert goers,” said William Oldford, chair of the St. Clair Endowment Funds, in a statement. “Also, it gives locals
and people in our community something to do and allows them to come together and enjoy the concerts.”
Upcoming shows
There are a handful of concerts remaining this month. On Friday, Sept. 12, Alter Ego plays 7-11 p.m. The Anchor Bay Jazz Orchestra entertains Saturday, Sept. 13, Noon-3 p.m. On Sunday, Sept 14, For a Few Dollars More takes the stage 2-6 p.m. The Meldrum Brothers play 7-11 p.m. Friday, Sept 19. Northbound plays Saturday, Sept. 20, 7-11 p.m. Blueblaze entertains Sunday, Sept. 21, 2-6 p.m. Los Gringos play Friday, Sept. 25, 7-11 p.m. The Gobies rock out Saturday Sept. 27, 7-11 p.m. Bandwagon closes out the season Sunday, Sept. 28, 2-6 p.m.
New master plan
Ten years ago, the community foundation spearheaded the $800,000 redevelopment of the courtyard, which had been characterized by little greenery and vast unwelcoming stretches of concrete. Later this year, it will unveil a new master plan to enhance the existing layout, part of its refocus on investments in shoreline communities in the county.
The chamber launched Rockin’ in the Plaza during the COVID-19 pandemic as a form of safe, open-air entertainment. The initial budget was $17,000. Additional grants, fundraising and new business sponsors have pushed the 2025 budget to over $100,000.
The concert series attracts bigger crowds each year. “It’s just a great atmosphere,” Ulatowski said.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
