On Thursday, the Champaign Park District held its monthly Jazz in the Park concert. The event is free, and organizers encouraged concertgoers to bring lawn chairs, picnic blankets and snacks.
The tradition dates back about 20 years, according to Morgan Pittman, Champaign Park District’s events and community engagement coordinator. The park district holds the concert every third Thursday of the month during the summer, and local parks across Champaign rotate to put on the show. This month, Mattis Park hosted the festivities.
The event lasted from 6 to 8 p.m. and was the perfect opportunity to relax with friends and family as soft jazz played in the background.
Couples and families sat on picnic blankets and lightly chattered, while more jazz-inclined individuals sat in lawn chairs directly in front of the stage. Food trucks and the event sponsors lined the outskirts of the park to feed the jazz-hungry folk.
The musicians of the night held a swinging tune throughout their performance. With rhythmic drums that set the pace, a conga, a saxophone and piano, the musicians were having a conversation on the stage. At times, people quieted their chatter to listen more intently.
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The bands of the night were also community members. Pittman explained how they recruit bands from the local area, including the University and Parkland College.
Thursday’s event featured Forebeat, Kurt Reeder ORGANization and Andrew Binder’s C.
Planning-wise, Pittman explained how securing the bands starts during the spring. Setting up for the event itself is also quite easy, only requiring a couple of hours of setup.
Despite how straightforward setting this up is, that does not diminish its importance to the Champaign-Urbana area.
Grace Garmire, graduate student studying physics, heard about this event through the Champaign Park District’s program of events that it sends through the mail. Garmire expressed how this event, and other events like it, are important ways to connect with the community.
“As University students, it’s hard to get off campus,” Garmire said. “This is kind of a cool and easy way to connect to the broader community.”
Saturn Moore, student at Parkland College, expressed how jazz music in itself is important to not only the community, but more extensively, the world.
“I think jazz is universal, and it brings people together,” Moore said.
To stay connected to the Champaign Park District, its website showcases all its upcoming events, which are open to all.
