The first event of the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks' eighth annual free summer concert series will take place on Tuesday with the Arkansas Winds Community Concert Band. The "Red, White and Blooms" concert is open to the public and gives guests the opportunity to enjoy free live music under the Rotary Peace Arbor.
"I think it's a great marriage -- nature and music," says Allison Griffin, the communication coordinator for the BGO. "People get to enjoy the culture of the music in the environment of the Botanical Garden -- with the tranquility and the beauty -- and gather together as a community."
FAQ
“Red, White and Blooms” concert
WHEN — 7 p.m. Tuesday
WHERE — Botanical Garden of the Ozarks in Fayetteville
COST — Free
INFO — bgozarks.org
The series began as way to give families a reason to come to the gardens later in the day, after work, while also supporting local musicians. There are three concerts during the summer, one each month, and each features a different style of music.
"We wanted to do it at the time when the garden is most beautiful and has the most to look at," Griffin says. "It sort of brings you back to the basics. We're all busy during the day -- whether it's at work or with our kids -- and I think it's important to re-center ourselves and get back to the basics. And what better place to do it?"
The concerts are part of the new Tyson Foods Tuesday Nights at the gardens, which includes extended hours and a variety of free programming on Tuesday nights during the summer. Events like the free concert are considered entertainment, but "I think it also reaches out to education as well because it teaches people what we do and what we're about," Griffin says.
"They can see the beauty we have here in the middle of the city."
-- Jocelyn Murphy
NAN What's Up on 06/24/2016