March 29, 2024
Local News

DeKalb Municipal Band concert series resumes July 28

DeKALB – Starting July 28, the Tuesday evening Municipal Band Concert Series will resume with safety restrictions.

The Municipal Band has been putting on concerts for the community for 166 years in a row, and with Gov. JB Pritzker’s Restore Illinois Phase 4 guidelines, concert organizers have determined a way to safely host these events with the guidance of local health officials.

“I made a promise to the band, our audience, and our community that the band would play on and keep our 166-year tradition of continuous live music in DeKalb,” said Band Conductor Kirk Lundbeck. “There was a lot of hard work involved in making this promise come true.”

The concerts will take place at 7:30 p.m. on July 28, Aug. 4, Aug. 11 and Aug. 18 at Hopkins Park, 1403 Sycamore Road in DeKalb.

Although the concerts continue to be free to the public, all concert-goers must book their reservation online in advance. Seats will be limited and will be assigned to maintain safe distance between visitors. Seat reservations will allow concert organizers to keep control of the number of people gathering in one place. The area around the Hopkins Park Band Shell will be fenced off, with three entry points for visitors to check-in.

Face coverings must be worn in the band shell area until concert-goers are seated and anywhere social distancing cannot be maintained.

The band will be set up differently and perform with fewer players to accommodate social distancing and ensure the safety of the performers. Due to the popularity of the concerts and the safety restrictions in place with Phase 4 guidelines, the public is discouraged from sitting in groups in the grassy areas surrounding the band shell and to respect the ticketing process.

“Thanks to the effort and support of the City of DeKalb, the DeKalb Park District, the Egyptian Theatre, and the DeKalb County Health Department,” Lunbeck said. “Without their guidance, the band shell would have remained silent, but now Hopkins Park will once again be filled with the wonderful music that the DeKalb Municipal Band provides. It’s very exciting.”

For more details, safety restrictions and featured vocalists, visit www.dekalbparkdistrict.com. All concert reservations must be booked through the Egyptian Theatre ticket portal at www.dekalbcountytickets.com. Booking begins 10 a.m. the Wednesday before the concert.