Music under the stars and stripes

A large crowd of spectators kicked off the Fourth of July weekend at Bird Park on Thursday as they watched the Kankakee Municipal Band perform its annual patriotic-themed concert.

The concert featured Pat Skelly and the River Valley Choral Ensemble alongside the tunes played by the band, directed by Robert Evans.

Every summer, the Kankakee Municipal Band performs a series of free outdoor concerts across a wide variety of crowd pleasers including marches, Broadway show tunes, overtures and popular favorites, according to the band’s website.

Concerts are held on Thursday evenings starting at 7 p.m. in historic Bird Park along the Kankakee River at the Don Palzer Band Shell on the park’s north side.

Audience members are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket as limited bleacher space is available. Restrooms are on site as well as a rotating list of vendors.

The concert season, which is 10 weeks long beginning the first Thursday in June, continues through Aug. 7 with the following vendors:

July 10: Mia Bella

July 17: Oscar’s Meats

July 24, 31 and Aug. 7: Candy & Cake

For more information and event updates because of weather, visit kankakeeband.org.