It’s Good to Belong: 2024 Park & Recreation Professionals Day Recap
A cool farewell to Summer.
The wind blowing through the trees. The birds singing their songs. The cicadas chirping noisily (though maybe not this year). It’s hard to deny the natural music of the outdoors and the beauty it creates. Left your Airpods at home? No problem, just listen to the sounds of the wildlife in your nearby park. But instead of only listening to trees — though we can’t deny its benefits — why not stumble upon a different kind of music in parks? Outdoor concerts!
With the warm weather and beautiful sunsets of summertime, park concerts abound, from jazz to country to everything in between. Want to enjoy some tunes with family or friends while touching grass or hugging trees? All you have to do is look (and listen!)
And if you do happen to remember your Airpods on your next trip to the park, we’ve got a park-inspired playlist we think will ease your mind.
The Benefits of Music in Parks
Outdoor concerts can be an incredible, easy, and fun way to stay active (from dancing, of course), socializing, growing closer as a community, and supporting local artists and your local parks and rec department. These are all great reasons to check out some shows before the summer ends. But did you know that outdoor concerts can help keep your brain healthy and happy?
Music, for one, has joy-inducing benefits for the brain. When we hear music, we release dopamine, an almost-instant mood enhancer. That’s not to mention, the more time spent in the sun having fun, the more Vitamin D you’re producing — which we know is chock full of benefits for our body. Put the two together, and there’s no way you won’t be feeling better after a concert in the park!
Southeastern and Southwestern Regions
Allegheny County’s Summer Concert Series still has quite a few shows left before the summer ends, with shows at both their South Park Amphitheater and Hartford Park Amphitheater. And even better? There are food trucks! But there’s one outdoor concert that’s going to have you saying “Let’s Dance.” September 1 is their 24th Annual Allegheny County Music Festival, and they’re celebrating with an Evening of David Bowie! Not to put you “under pressure,” but you won’t want to miss it!
Philadelphia’s Parks and Recreation Department is no stranger to music. There, you’ll find a collection of concerts in the great outdoors. Fairmount Park’s Sounds of the Summer Series offers free jazz concerts in the park. And Spruce Street Harbor Park offers free concerts to the public as well — with added scenery of the beautiful waterfront.
And if you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary, Laurel Hill Cemetery is hosting a Live-to-Headphones “Silent Piano Concert” on their grounds. If you enjoy listening to live music alone, but together, missing out on this musical experience may be a “grave” mistake!
Central Region
Every summer, Cumberland Valley’s Kings Gap State Park hosts their Music on the Mountain Series with Kings Gap Environmental Education Center. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and listen to great music on the mountain top in front of their famous Mansion. You can catch the final free concert of the summer on September 1!
Harrisburg University’s Riverfront Park hosts summer concerts with some big names, like Jenny Lewis, The Fleet Foxes, and Orville Peck. Their venue, along the Susquehanna River, includes food trucks and more. While the summer is winding down, you can still catch a concert on August 18 of Brothers Osbourne!
Northeastern Region
Unlike some other park concert series that are winding down this month, The Nay Aug Park Concert Series continues throughout the entire month of August, with shows happening all the way through the 28th. Check out their schedule — there’s sure to be a concert that fits your music taste!
And finally, if you find yourself in Scranton, be sure to check out their Allen Park Concert Series, which continues all the way through August 23. These bi-weekly shows are free and offer a variety of genres, from indie to funk to pop to reggae.
No matter what region of Pennsylvania you’re in, you’re sure to find a local park offering to be the soundtrack of your summer with outdoor concerts. Grab a group of friends, your whole family, or even just you and your lawn chair, and head into the outdoors for a good ol’ fashioned music-listening experience. And get ready to dance!
