Posted: 6/5/02

Summer park entertainment begins

Get ready to rock, Forest Lake. The Rockiní Hollywoods will swing into town Friday night to launch the summer Arts in the Park program at the Lakeside Memorial Park Gazebo stage.

The popular and well-traveled Rockiní Hollywoods will perform a free three-hour park concert starting at 7 p.m. The program will kick off the Forest Lake Park Boardís annual summer entertainment slate, said Carole Nelson, parks coordinator for the city of Forest Lake.

Guests are invited to come early and stay late, Nelson said. Parking is available throughout the downtown and boat traffic is also welcome, she said.

Refreshments and food will be sold by the Forest Lake Lions Club.

The program is the first in the summer Arts in the Park slate at Lakeside Park that continues through Aug. 27. Fridayís kick-off concert will set the stage for a series of free Tuesday night programs and several special gazebo programs that are taking place this summer, Nelson said.

The regular slate of Tuesday night concerts begins on Tuesday, June 11 with an appearance by the St. Croix Valley Boy Choir. A variety of choral music will be performed by the St. Croix Valley Boy Choir, a new act for the gazebo stage.

The Tuesday night concerts are scheduled from 7-9 p.m.

Next up for the gazebo stage is Scott Marre with his original and popular folk music at 7 p.m., Monday, June 17 for a special night of entertainment.

The second in the series of Tuesday night programs will feature the folk and Celtic vocal and instrumental music of Curtis & Loretta on June 18.

The park board summer entertainment slate is backed by an $8000 budget. Some $6000 of the funding has been contributed via grants.

Target will fund the $2000 cost for the Rockiní Hollywoods concert this Friday.

The park board has also received $4000 in funding provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council and the River Valley Arts Council through a grant from The McKnight Foundation and an appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature.

A corporate donation has been received from SRC, Inc. (Forest Lake Sanitation) for the mailing of Arts in the Park schedules to households and businesses in the area.

Other highlights of the Arts in the Park summer slate include the Farmersí Market. As many as 30 vendors will be in the park from Tuesday, July 9 through Tuesday, Sept. 25 selling homegrown produce and arts and crafts items.

The park concert series will end on Tuesday, Aug. 27 with the back-to-school concert featuring Fresh Squeezed Country and a free corn feed. Many youth activities are also planned on Aug. 27.

The summer slate of activities will also feature daytime Summer Park Art and Recreation for Kids at Kulenkamp Park on Mondays and Wednesdays, Lakeside Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Beltz Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays from July 8 to Aug. 1.

Pre-registration is not needed. For more information, call city hall at 464-3550.

The park will also host summer Sunday religious services conducted by Hosanna Lutheran Church at 9:30 a.m. through Sunday, Aug. 25.

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