FOND DU LAC – An easy summer staple in Fond du Lac is listening to live music on a park lawn or a bar patio.
Many local concert series are free to attend, and welcome free-will offerings to help keep them going.
Whether you’re a fan of rock, country, swing, jazz or something else, local music acts coming to Fond du Lac appeal to a variety of tastes.
We’ve rounded up some musical performances and concerts in the Fond du Lac area this summer.
THELMA Thursdays
The THELMA Thursdays summer concert series continues at the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, 51 Sheboygan St.
A new band will play a free concert each Thursday on the outdoor stage over the summer, featuring rock, country, swing, retro and other sounds. The bar will open at 6 p.m. before each concert.
Bands include Copper Box, Judson Brown Band, Horace Greene, Armchair Boogie, STEEM, Bacchus Lotus, Whole Yachta Love, The 5 Card Studs, Remington’s Ride, Liquid Courage, The Jimmys, Rodello the Kidd and The Britins.
More information on each group is available at thelmaarts.org.
Buttermilk Festival
The Buttermilk Festival concert series kicked off in June, but the music continues at the Wifler Performance Center in Buttermilk Creek Park, 801 S. Park Ave.
The Fond du Lac Symphonic Band will return for concerts July 9, July 23, Aug. 6 and Aug. 20. Other performers in the Wednesday night series include the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Dorf Kapelle, Wisconsin Symphonic Winds, the Fond du Lac High School summer band, Divas and Jazz, and Kids From Wisconsin.
The concerts are free to attend, and a free-will offering will be welcomed each night. Limited plastic lawn chairs will be available for seating, but organizers recommend bringing lawn chairs or blankets. During inclement weather, concerts could be moved to the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds.
More information will be available ahead of each concert on the Fond du Lac Symphonic Band Facebook page.
Music Under the Stars returns to the Wifler Performance Center Monday nights and continues through Aug. 25.
Waupun Concerts in the Park
Every year, Waupun Fine Arts puts on a series of concerts throughout July at West End Park, 200 Beaver Dam St. in Waupun.
According to the events listings on the Waupun Fine Arts website, performers are the Beaver Dam Community Band July 3, My So Called Band July 10, Scotty Meyer Trio July 17, Remington’s Ride July 24 and United Men of Praise July 31.
Each concert starts at 6:30 p.m., with concessions opening at 5:30 p.m., and organizers recommend bringing a lawn chair or blanket. The rain location is Waupun Community Center, 510 E. Spring St.
Ripon Summer Concert Series
Weekly Friday night concerts continue with the Horicon Bank Ripon Summer Concert Series at the Village Green at the corner of Watson and Seward Street in downtown Ripon. The park will open at about 6 p.m. for the free concerts, which start around 7 p.m.
Some of the artists throughout this summer include Ember, Star Six Nine, Cherry Pie, Saliva and The Glam Band.
Beverage refreshments will be available to purchase, and because these sales help cover the entertainment expenses, carry-ins will not be allowed. Bringing lawn chairs or blankets is recommended.
Regular schedule of acts at local bars
Several restaurants, bars and other local establishments host live music acts regularly on their patios. Several have already announced their lineups.
Daphne Lemke is the Streetwise reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter. Contact her at dlemke@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Music festivals and more: Who’s performing music in Fond du Lac this summer?
Reporting by Daphne Lemke, Fond du Lac Reporter / Fond du Lac Reporter
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