The day before the work week starts, Sunday, is often reserved for relaxing, recouping, or otherwise taking it easy. Some Santa Maria residents, however, are taking it for what it is—a day in the sun—and are heading out to Rotary Centennial Park to enjoy great weather, family time, and some free live music by popular local bands.
“It’s been a great turnout,” said Yvette Fuentes, a facility specialist for Santa Maria Parks and Recreation. “It’s something I’m extremely excited about.”
Though the event, presented by the department, has been around for about six years, never before has the turnout been so big. Chalk it up to the economy, the good weather, increased marketing, or great bands. Whatever the reason, everyone is showing up to enjoy the free concerts in the park.
That audience doesn’t come without some effort, though. After the first concert, Fuentes announced the next concert to everyone and encouraged them to return. They did. In fact, the audience nearly doubled at the next event. Part of the draw is because it’s a great family experience, Fuentes said, but some of it may also be due to her marketing outreach.
Fuentes said she’s advertised in print and on the radio, taped posters in the windows of sponsoring businesses, and even handed out fliers and personally invited people on the streets. She said she knows firsthand that there’s a need to get the word out about the summer concert series, even though it’s been around for a while.
“Before I got this position, I didn’t even know we had summer concerts,” she said.
Now that the word is out, so are the people.
“I think with the economy the way it is, people are looking for things they can do with their family and save money,” Fuentes said.
Couples with picnic baskets and blankets and families with lawn chairs and umbrellas spread out on the lawn. Rotary Centennial Park has proved to be an excellent location with enough space to place the mobile stage, and there’s a playground for the kids.
And the brave ones get up and dance.
“I kind of picked the genres I felt would best suit our community,” Fuentes said. The resulting repertoire includes jazz, blues, classic rock, modern rock, salsa and reggae—“a little bit of everything,” she said. And the selection has attracted a little bit of everyone.
“Our audience has been diverse,” Fuentes said. “We have babies to 70-something-year-olds out there.”
Event sponsors include Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary and Santa Maria Rotary South, Toyota of Santa Maria, Honda of Santa Maria, Foods Co., Trader Joe’s, and El Dorado Broadcasters. Some of them, like Trader Joe’s, give out goodies to the kids.
Fuentes said she sees the summer concert series as growing next year, with the addition of nonprofits with food booths and perhaps moving the mobile stage to various parts of town each month to reach an even bigger audience.
For now, though, audiences are enjoying having a place to kick up their heels or tap their toes, while enjoying the weather with their families. Fuentes said she receives a lot of positive feedback from audiences and often sees people return each week.
“I’ve made a lot of friends out there. They come up and thank me all the time,” Fuentes said. “A lot of people might not think [the summer concert series is] a big deal, but it’s very appreciated.”
Arts Editor Shelly Cone is kind of a big deal. Contact her at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 6-13, 2009.
