Summer Concerts in the Park
There’s graciousness to the warmer months in Central New York. Humidity turns brisk walks into moseys, and the ubiquitous scent of grilling food perfumes the air.
The easy feeling also comes in the form of community spirit. Every Friday in July and August, people of all ages stroll to Clift Park in the center Skaneateles for an evening of lazy lake views and lively music. That’s when the Skaneateles Community Band offers their annual series of free concerts. Comprised of residents ages 16-90, professional musicians and devoted amateurs alike donate their talents for the benefit of anyone willing to bring a blanket or glide in by boat.
The scene is something like a modern-day “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” There are no parasols or formal walking costumes like in Seurat’s famous painting, but there is a delightful uncanniness in the general air of civility and culture. The scenery includes pristine water and grand homes, purple martins and pampered pets, and revelers of all ages negotiating heat-addled ice cream cones and balancing fish fries.
The timeless quality of the concerts has as much to do with history as it does with the setting. The first performance took place nearly thirty years ago, and ever since then some iteration of the community band has sat in the white gingerbread gazebo by the lake. The conductor still pauses between numbers to announce upcoming town events, and the audience still sings along from the lyrics they’ve been handed. It’s a tableau that would have Norman Rockwell’s ghost clutching for his brushes. And maybe Georges Seurat too, if he wasn’t so busy floating around Paris this time of year.
Skaneateles Community Band’s
“Concerts in the Park”
Clift Park, Village of Skaneateles
Rain location: Allyn Ice Arena, Jordan Street
Times: 7:30 p.m. (July), 7:00 p.m. (August)
Directions
