a day ago
Lerner on the Lawn returns
ELKHART — The free Lerner on the Lawn concert series is back this summer at Central Green with new energy and flare, Lerner Theatre officials said.
It will also be on a different day of the week from the downtown ArtWalk this year.
This is the fourth year The Lerner has hosted the free monthly concert series.
The first Lerner on the Lawn will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 28, featuring EatDrinkBeHappy, a music project from Nashville-based songwriter and artist John Allan Miller.
'If you can imagine the kind of music that you'd like to hang out on the lake and listen to on a boat, maybe a yacht, I don't know, and come together with your friends, maybe have a little drink, and just relax,' said Jenna Brouillette, marketing and communications manager. 'And really enjoy the summer feeling that comes with the warm weather and the clear skies. That's the kind of event that we're looking forward to.'
Like in previous years, the Lerner on the Lawn event will have food trucks along High Street, Brouillette said. The events will be sponsored by the city and the Elkhart County Convention and Visitor's Bureau. The events will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Lerner Theatre and will be free to the public.
In years past, the ArtWalk has occurred alongside the Lerner on the Lawn events, but this year the events will be separate.
'ArtWalk is being a little bit reimagined,' Brouillette said. 'It's being taken on by Elkhart Parks and Recreation, which we are super excited for them to continue Elkhart ArtWalk on Wednesdays this year.'
ArtWalk will be held the last Wednesday each month through September starting June 25. By separating the events, Brouillette said, people have more opportunities to head downtown to see, eat and play.
The vision was to bring ArtWalk back down to Main Street and showcase the businesses in downtown, Parks and Recreation Superintendent Jamison Czarnecki said.
'The goal is to take it back to its roots to where it was when it was first created,' Czarnecki said. 'Put it in around Main Street and then try to put as many artists as we can on Main Street, in and out the businesses, diversify the types of art that are out there that we're showcasing, and then have music throughout Main Street. It should be a fun event.'
ArtWalk will also feature a large kids zone on the plaza led by the Tolson Center, Czarnecki said. The hope is to continue to make downtown vibrant with something to do for everyone, he said.
More information about Lerner on the Lawn is available at or from The Lerner Theatre's Facebook page.
