Downtown concert series returns with a few changes (2024)

The Downtown Kingston Business Improvement Area’s free outdoor concert series returns this week but with a few changes.

Article content

The DBIA, which sponsors and stages the “Live 365 Summer Music Series,” noticed last year that the Tuesday and Thursday lunchtime shows weren’t drawing crowds the way they, or the musicians, wanted.

“What we found was that, post-COVID, there just weren’t as many people downtown on weekdays during lunch hours,” explained Jan Dinsdale MacDonald, director of events at the DBIA.

So they moved those performances to Saturdays — the first of which is June 29 — instead with the hour-long shows starting at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 in Confederation Park. MacDonald said the “Saturday Sessions” will feature performers who play similar genres.

“So one Saturday might be singer-songwriters, another Saturday might be folk,” MacDonald said. “We’re trying to clump things together on a specific Saturday and see how that goes.”

Article content

Article content

The other shift sees the popular big band and country music nights moving to new days and with new additions to those evenings.

“Kickin’ it Country” will now happen Friday evenings at 7 and will be taking place in Market Square rather than Confederation Park. “Swingin’ Summer” will still be in the City Hall Amphitheatre, but on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. instead.

They switched the big band night, which starts June 26, from Fridays to Wednesdays at 7 p.m. because it sometimes conflicted with events happening at Market Square, MacDonald said. That’s now the country music night, which they found sometimes conflicted with festivals.

Inspired by the popularity of last summer’s “Salsa in the Square” on Tuesdays — it doesn’t return until next month — both Wednesday and Friday nights will have an added attraction: free dance lessons before the music begins.

Article content

There will be swing dancing lessons Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m., and line dancing or square dancing lessons from 6 to 7 on Fridays.

“So on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday you’ll be able to come down to Springer Market Square and dance,” MacDonald said.

“Summer Fun on Sydenham,” which takes place on the street of the same name between Princess and Queen streets, features mostly children’s programming.

The mini-putt course of last year has been replaced by a playground for kids.

MacDonald said the DBIA’s summer students are to credit for developing theme days for kids.

“There’s a camp theme, there’s a games theme, there’s a sports theme, all through the summer, and they’re doing activities and games and prizes based on the themes,” MacDonald said.

“And then we will have our children our family entertainer perform from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.”

For more information, go to downtownkingston.ca.

Article content