Summer music season kicks off around the Peninsula

As the sun offers warmth and schools come to an end, cities throughout San Mateo County prepare to bring people together and provide endless entertainment.

San Mateo’s Central Park Music Series began Thursday, June 22, starting with Native Elements, a San Francisco-based reggae band. The San Mateo Parks and Recreation Department is supplying a variety of genres to Central Park every Thursday, rarely disappointing the thousands of weekly concertgoers. From zydeco to swing, locals can expand their music taste and discover new genres, local bands and dance styles.

The Central Park Music Series brings a consistent event to fortify the community’s cohesion and belonging.

“We pride ourselves on fostering a stronger sense of community. Part of that means having opportunities for people to get together and enjoy the place that they call home and have fun with each other,” city spokeswoman Samantha Weigel said.

The Central Park lawn becomes almost unrecognizable, transforming every Thursday into a concert venue. The ground becomes filled with picnic blankets and happy families awaiting the live music and smell of freshly made food. It is hard to miss a smile as people of all ages step onto the dance floor to truly experience the music. These events have something for everyone, reeling in attendees from all over the Bay Area.

Elysha Johnston, who came to the Thursday night Native Elements concert in San Mateo with her family, said it’s just a really nice community environment. “We run into lots of friends in the area, and the kids love running around and playing in the park,” she said. “We get to just relax and listen to good music, and it’s free, which is amazing, right?”

Part of the appeal of the music in the park concerts is not only the free entrance fee but the consistency locals have seen for years. Favorite bands come back, and the parks become alive in the same vibrant way every summer.

However, it is easy to overlook the hard work that goes into the yearly planning and setting up of these events. The Parks and Recreation Department of San Mateo is thinking about the event almost all year round, Weigel said. “We run events throughout the entire year, but [the Parks and Recreation Department does] start preparing months and months in advance. It might sound easy to just call a couple of bands and have people show up, but there’s a lot that goes into them preparing for and planning this event,” Weigel said.

The Parks and Recreation team starts early to put the pieces of the Central Park Music Series in place, ensuring the event series many know and love lives up to its reputation.

While the Central Park Music Series is unique and delivers its own kind of fun to the table, many other cities in San Mateo County put on their own concerts in the park, providing the community with that same sense of belonging and lively atmosphere of Central Park.

Redwood City, for instance, holds both a Music in the Park and Music in the Square series during the summer, which have been livening up the community for around 17 years. Planning for these events is just as complex, starting almost nine months before the shows begin.

Hope Izabelle, publicist for Redwood City’s summer events, said the events allow people to come together as a community.

“There are a lot of people I know that go and have their spots that they all meet at, and they say, ‘Oh, hey, this band playing. Let’s all meet here!’ They bring their picnics and different things. So it’s a great way for people to meet up, gather, and enjoy live music for free,” she said.

The music in the park concerts that pop up in various cities around San Mateo County are anticipated and hard to forget.

In San Mateo, Weigel said these music events provide an opportunity for families and people of all ages to convene and enjoy themselves all summer long.

“They get to hear different music, enjoy food from different restaurants, and have a good time with each other. They get to feel like they are a part of something,” Weigel said.