Following all of our Concerts on the Square, I am asked if I had a good time. And, to be honest, there’s always a bit of a nuance that can shape how I answer. Rainy nights that never really seemed to be much of anything in my personal life are now major stress points. Tending to the bands, lining up scheduled intermission acts, restocking coolers, and checking in with volunteers can make a three-hour concert go by in a matter of blurred moments.
I am beyond fortunate to have Noreen Rueckert as our concert chair. She is the Green County Tourism Director and also writes a monthly column. Mike Jerge who owns Paw Prints, a local business, has been making the beer garden a reality year after year since before I started. The first year I started, we had eight concerts. Even with some rain outs, I believe we have hosted 30 concerts since I have been director. Time flies! And that is a lot of blurred moments. What has brought us three together, along with so many others, is the shared purpose of creating an event specific for Monroe. While concerts may be common, it is our goal to provide an experience that will transcend your definition of a concert. In fact, what we have planned is a series of summer block parties.
Our first concert this year is this upcoming Friday, July 16. The first of four big shows, Wheelhouse, a nationally touring band that has released five records and performed over a thousand shows in the past six years, will kick things off. We will have an expanded beer garden and a second one placed on the south side to allow for greater mobility and comfort. If you are planning on attending, which you definitely should, grab a chair and/or blankets and find your spot early! The show will start at 6:30 p.m. on the west side of the square, but food vendors will be open closer to 5 p.m. with expanded serving hours on all fronts. We will also have special intermissions each night. This week, we will be recognizing our Mainopoly sponsors and having giant twister and lawn games for the entire family to enjoy. We also have stilt walkers, giant bubbles, cheesy stuff (literally), and a salute to service planned across the second July show and ones in August and September. We have had extra time to plan, so despite more than a few stop and starts over the past almost two years, we are excited to share these many unique elements planned for the entire summer block party concerts this year.
And so, about that question everyone loves to ask: The moments I enjoy the most are the ones I get a glimpse of by chance. Where the chaos around me is paused and clarity follows and I see neighbors randomly bumping into each other, the class reunions gathering, children becoming seemingly fast friends as they gather as close as comfortably possible to the intermission acts, those of you who dress up for a particular theme. I imagine that by Saturday, after getting glimpses of so many of you having moments like these and countless others for the first time in a long time, it will be easier than ever to say, “Yes. I sure did have a good time!” So, I hope to see you this Friday enjoying all our planned aspects of the Concert and creating those moments that make it all unique and worthwhile.
— Jordan Nordby is the executive director for Main Street Monroe. He can be reached at MonroeMainStreet@tds.net.
