To help celebrate Merrill’s West Side, the city band will be performing at Cenotaph Park (by Park Place) tonight, beginning at 6 p.m., one hour earlier than Normal Park concerts. For years, the group performed at the park as part of the annual Wednesday Crazy Days celebration and they are excited to make another appearance this year. The band and food vendors will set up on the road in front of the Miller’s Furniture and Ballyhoos area, facing the park. This will give the audience the entire green space to pull up a lawn chair and enjoy the sounds.
Pre-concert entertainment will start at 4:30 p.m. and be provided by the Winchester duo, Andy Ament and Paul Waid. Concessions will be available for purchase starting at 4 p.m. The Lions Club will be grilling up scrumptious hamburgers, cheeseburgers and hot dogs, and have chips, soda and water available. HAVEN will be tempting you with their delicious popcorn, nachos, and lemonade. And dessert? The high school Band Boosters are offering strawberry shortcake and ice cream. You won’t go home hungry! Our Rafflin’ Red Roadies and the Housing Authority staff will be on hand to assist audience members.
As always, there’s something for the youngest audience members on the program and for those young at heart. The director also promises lots of toe-tapping favorites, including music from “Fiddler on the Roof” to “The Washington Post,” and more.
If you are so inclined, bring a little extra cash to participate in the 50/50 raffle. You may even go home with a gift certificate donated by a west side Merrill business. Concert sponsors are the Merrill Area Housing Authority and the City of Merrill. Bring a lawn chair and join us on the west side for an evening of great entertainment.
The following week is the band’s biggest event of the year, the annual costume concert. Concessions start at 4:30 p.m. Finn Power performs at 5 p.m., with the city band starting at 7 p.m. The band is partnering with The Haunted Sawmill for “Things That Go Bump In The Night,” and Vincent Mudgett will be at the park. Free activities for kids begin at 5 p.m., along with concessions by the Band Boosters, HAVEN and The Haunted Sawmill. More information is provided elsewhere in this issue.