By MATT PIKE
Parties on the Parkway rolls on this month, after a hot start to the summer concert series hosted by the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce along St. Joseph's parkway system.
The concert series, which kicked off last month, runs through September, featuring a different band on the second Thursday of the month, along different stops along the parkway.
Chamber President Natalie Hawn says the kickoff concert in May, featuring Doc's 100 Proof, was well attended by residents.
"We had a lot of comments that people really enjoyed the band, the music was great, the food we had lots of food vendors, and the weather, the weather was perfect," Hawn says on the KFEQmunnity show. "I know that's a crazy time, because it was May 14th, right before graduations, and right after Mother's Day, and right before Memorial Day, so it was a lot going on but we still had a great crowd."
Hawn says the new children's area was also well received during the first event, after the request for the area for kids to have fun with inflatables, face painters, and more.
As the concerts continue through September, the venue moves along the parkway, which Hawn says was the reason Parties on the Parkway was created.
"We could have easily done an easier venue for Parties on the Parkway, we could have done live outdoor concerts in the gazebo downtown, or in Civic Center Park, or some of the locations that the infrastructure makes a little more sense," Hawn explains. "But the reason we created it along the parkway system was to show that we have this unique parkway system that it's very rare that you have a parkway system with hiking and biking trails that runs from the entire length of your city."
Hawn says often during the event, you hear from people who have either never utilized the parkway or been to a certain part of it quite often.
"We've been doing Parties on the Parkway for a while and it's crazy to me that people have never heard of it," Hawn says. "They're either very beloved events that the person has been going to since it's started, or it's their first one, you definitely get a mix and that's what makes it fun, it's truly a community event that anybody can come out and enjoy the parkway and have fun on a Thursday night."
The next Parties on the Parkway concert will be next Thursday, June 11th featuring country music from Michael Shaun Brown from 5 to 8pm at SW Parkway and 28th Street.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.