After months of planning and anticipation, the Songs of Summer Festival – featuring the music of Michael Shynes and the Fabulous Armadillos – is here. The event is at Memorial Park in Litchfield this year – with gates opening at 4, and music beginning at 5 p.m.; and the Litchfield Civic Arena will be utilized in case of rain.
Amanda Nelson says their website has listed the Civic Arena as the location of the event, but it is at Memorial Park. She says vendors will include the Knights of Columbus with their burger stand, St. Philip’s with water, Boy Scouts with beef sticks, Wrestling Club with brats, LAMP with dirty sodas, Herradura’s, Gypsy Bowls, Litchfield Rescue Squad with 1st aid items, and the American Legion with adult beverages – so it is not a BYOB event.
Nelson says there will be a merchandise tent at the event with t-shirts, can koozies, and raffle tickets. She says they will take Venmo, but you should bring some cash to patronize the vendors and to give a freewill donation.
Sarah Jones says there is just one entrance to get into the Songs of Summer Festival and the stage will be between the playground and the parking lot. She says they will have the Splash Pad, rest rooms and playground fenced in – with a barrier to the beach – so your children should be safe.
Jones says they are so grateful for all of the sponsors who are helping to make the Songs of Summer Festival possible. She says this year’s event will help to support St. Philip’s School, LAMP/Kinship and the Meeker County 4H Horse Club.
On Aug. 15, 1939, “The Wizard of Oz” premiered in Los Angeles.
In 1958, Buddy Holly and Maria Elena Santiago were married in a private ceremony at his parents’ home in Lubbock, Texas. Holly and Santiago had met only two months before. He died in a plane crash the following February.
In 1965, The Beatles performed before a capacity crowd at New York’s Shea Stadium, which, at the time, set a record for the largest audience to gather for a concert.
In 1969, the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair opened in upstate New York.
In 1980, George Harrison’s book “I Me Mine” was published.
In 1996, a women’s shelter on Long Island, New York, refused to accept money from a benefit concert featuring James Brown. The shelter said Brown’s wife had accused him of assaulting her, although each time, she withdrew the accusations or the charges were dismissed.
In 1998, singer Ian Gillan of Deep Purple allegedly hit a security guard in the head with a microphone during a concert in Pontiac, Michigan. He was later charged with assault and battery.
In 2004, Phish performed their final show during a weekend-long festival in Coventry, Vermont. They have since regrouped.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor-musician Jim Dale is 89. Actor Pat Priest (“The Munsters”) is 88. Drummer Pete York of The Spencer Davis Group is 82. Author-journalist Linda Ellerbee is 80. Songwriter Jimmy Webb is 78. Singer-guitarist Tom Johnston of The Doobie Brothers is 76. Actor Phyllis Smith (“The Office”) is 75. Actor Tess Harper is 74. Actor Larry Mathews (“The Dick Van Dyke Show”) is 69. Actor Zeljko Ivanek (“Madam Secretary,” ″Heroes”) is 67. Actor Rondell Sheridan (“That’s So Raven,” ″Cory in the House”) is 66. Singer-keyboardist Matt Johnson (The The) is 63. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“Birdman,” “Babel”) is 61. Actor Peter Hermann (“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”) is 57. Actor Debra Messing (“Will and Grace”) is 56. Actor Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”) is 54. Actor Ben Affleck is 52. Actor Natasha Henstridge (“The Whole Nine Yards,” ″Species”) is 50. Bassist Tim Foreman of Switchfoot is 46. Actor Emily Kinney (“Conviction,” “The Walking Dead”) is 40. Actor Courtney Hope (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) is 35. Singer Joe Jonas of The Jonas Brothers is 35. Actor-singer Carlos PenaVega (“Big Time Rush”) is 35. Actor Jennifer Lawrence is 34. DJ Smoove da General of Cali Swag District is 34.
Members of the Litchfield Area Mentorship Program will be especially busy the next two evenings – serving food during tonight’s Thriving Thursdays music event in Litchfield’s Central Park and selling dirty sodas during the Songs of Summer Festival Friday night at Memorial Park.
Program Coordinator Jenna Haynie says the events are not just good for raising funds, but also to get exposure for the organization and to try to recruit more mentors. She says there is a long waiting list of children right now who need mentors.
Haynie says they are also looking for Lunch Buddies and there will be orientation for that on September 9th. She says people currently involved in LAMP and volunteers who’ve been involved the past 4 years are invited to a back-to-school BBQ on August 27th which will be a farewell for her as she is resigning from her position. For more information about LAMP, call Jenna at 320-582-5267.