The Fox Valley Park District’s Live and Uncorked concert series returns for its 13th season on Thursday, district officials said.
The concerts will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. on eight consecutive Thursdays – June 4 to July 23 – at Blackberry Farm, 100 S. Barnes Road on Aurora’s far west side.
Gates will open at 6:15 p.m. for the BYOB concerts, which are designed exclusively for guests 21 years old and older, organizers said.
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Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 the day of a concert, while season passes for all eight concerts are available for $64, according to a press release from the district. For ticket information, go to www.blackberryfarm.info/special-events/live-uncorked-concert-series/
The concert series will feature live bands including fan favorites over the years in addition to new performers, district officials said.
A year ago, nearly 5,000 people attended the series, which Delaney Shaw, Blackberry Farm’s rental and events supervisor, said will likely be matched or exceeded this year.
“This began over a decade ago, and we’ve continued to find bands that our community has really enjoyed and tried to cater it to our audience,” Shaw said. “We’ve really gotten to know our demographic well. We get feedback from people who purchase our season tickets, and really kind of cater it them to and make sure we have them as our focus as we’re picking the bands and focusing on what we’d like to do.”
Shaw said organizers “started looking back in the fall for a lineup and … to get a mix of new bands and returning bands.”
“We definitely take feedback from guests that have come to shows and try to get a good mix from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, with cover bands as well as original music,” she said. “We try to cover all our bases and make people as happy as we can.”
This year’s lineup includes The Spazmatics on June 4 performing ’80s music with a few ’70s and ’90s hits mixed in; The Simple Remedy, on June 11, with Americana music; Semple, on June 18, playing pop, rock and alternative music; Billy Elton, June 25, honoring the music of Billy Joel and Elton John; The Wayouts, on July 2, specializing in 1960s classics; How Rude, July 9, with ’90s and 2000s music; Cadillac Groove, July 16, blending Southern rock, blues, funk, R&B and soul; and Bon Journeyed, July 23, playing songs from Bon Jovi and Journey.
Shows are held rain or shine, park district officials said.
“Part of the appeal is the freedom concertgoers have to make the evening their own,” Shaw said in the press release. “Some arrive with simple snacks and lawn chairs, while others go all out. We’ve seen a blow-up couch and tables with candles. People make it their own individual experience. Some people bring pizza, while others treat it more as an outing. Sometimes it’s not just going to a concert in the park — it’s a little more upscale.”
Blackberry Farm’s Summer Kitchen will also be open during concerts, offering grab-and-go snacks and freshly squeezed lemonade, organizers said.
Shaw said while there are larger concert venues operating all summer, “people really like having a less expensive option as well as having a more intimate experience.”
“The fact that it’s outside on the lawn and there’s no kids – it kind of gives a little more of an escape and people get to have more space to create the atmosphere they like on the grass,” she said. “It’s more serene than being in a bar or a restaurant setting.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.