The Town of Wilmot, the Music on the Bandstand Committee, and the Wilmot Community Association (WCA) will join forces in 2013 to present summer concerts on the Town Green at the intersection of Kearsarge Valley and Village roads in Wilmot Flat.
On March 6 the Wilmot selectmen; Ed Weaver, one of the founding members of the Music on the Bandstand Committee; and the WCA agreed to present the 2013 summer concerts in Wilmot as a joint effort.
As in previous years, in 2013 the Town has included $3,000 to pay for the summer concerts. The town, not the WCA, will pay the bands. The WCA will help promote the concerts, coordinate the concessions, and help recruit people to serve on the Music on the Bandstand Committee.
“Music on the Bandstand is part of the wonderful summer experience in Wilmot,” Ed said. “However, without such an arrangement, I do not know whether Music on the Bandstand would have been able to go forward.”
“We are pleased by the WCA’s willingness to assist with Music on the Bandstand,” said Mary Kay Huntoon, member of the Wilmot Board of Selectmen. “We look forward to a renewed spirit of collaboration between the Town and the WCA.”
Established in fall of 2001, the Music on the Bandstand Committee garnered donations, and with the expertise and donated time of many local contractors, the group built the bandstand on the Town Green. The first concerts were presented in 2003.
“Initially, the committee raised the funds to pay the bands by sponsoring fund-raising events such as car washes,” Ed said. “But it was apparent that relying on this method for money to pay the bands would not suffice for the long term.”
“Music on the Bandstand has been a feature on the Town Green for a decade,” Weaver said. “These events are one of the things that make Wilmot such a great town. Kids have fun running around; parents enjoy chatting with friends; neighbors bring a picnic and visit with each other during the performances. The concerts are wonderful, family-oriented events.”
“In February, Ed Weaver asked the WCA’s Board of Directors if we would assist the bandstand committee this summer,” said Ann Davis, president of the WCA board. Members of the bandstand committee, realizing they needed additional help this year, looked to the WCA as an organization that could assist with the concerts.
“The WCA was established in 1963 to provide facilities for social, recreational, and educational activities to make Wilmot a vibrant place in which to live,” Ann said. “So this collaboration with the bandstand committee and the Town is a good fit for the WCA.”
Six concerts are scheduled from 6 to 8 PM on Saturdays in July and August. The schedule (subject to change) is:
- July 13, Long Tail Monkeys and Nick’s Other Band (rock and roll); WCA will serve food.
- July 20, Sferes and White (original and folk); the Wilmot Ladies Aid Society will run the food concession
- July 27, Uncle Jimbo (rock and roll)
- August 3, Fondtones (doo wop)
- August 10, The Moors (rock and roll)
- August 17, Brock Hill Bluegrass
Not-for-profit organizations interested in running the food concession on July 27 or August 3, 10, or 17 should contact the WCA at 526-7934.
More information about becoming a member of the Music on the Bandstand Committee, or learning about the WCA is available at WilmotCommunityAssociation.org. Follow us on Facebook, or call the WCA at 526-7934.