Free Outdoor Concerts At Union County Parks

Mountainside, NJ -- Who doesn't love sitting outside on a nice summer day and listening to some tunes?

The Union County 56th annual Summer Arts Festival Concert Series will offer a number of free outdoor concerts at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside and Oak Ridge Park in Clark.

The series kicks off with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra at Echo Lake Park on Friday June 24 at 7:30 p.m.

The Orchestra will perform musical selections from :Ghostbusters,” “Star Wars,” “The Godfather: Part III,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Moulin Rouge,” and “Batman” as well as pieces from Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Beethoven, and Rossini.

The show is free, and visitors are urged to pack a picnic basket, bring lawn chairs or blankets. Refreshments and snacks will also be available from vendors.

As with all festival concerts throughout the Summer, attendees can also participate in Union County Get Fit Yoga program beginning at 6:30 p.m. Bring a mat or beach towel and participate in the healthy activities for the entire family.

“The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is one of the state’s cultural treasures and we are excited to feature them as our opening act for our Summer Arts Festival,” said Union Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “We encourage our residents to enjoy the music under the stars, and a memorable night of classical entertainment.”

Named “a vital, artistically significant musical organization” by The Wall Street Journal, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) embodies that vitality through its statewide presence and critically acclaimed performances, education partnerships and unparalleled access to music and the Orchestra’s superb musicians.

The NJSO presents classical, pops and family programs, as well as outdoor summer concerts and special events throughout the state. For more information about the NJSO, go to http://www.njsymphony.org/

The other free concerts in the Union County Summer Arts Festival series are scheduled for Wednesday nights throughout July in Echo Lake and then in August at Oak Ridge Park in Clark:

ECHO LAKE PARK - MOUNTAINSIDE:

• June 24th New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
• July 6th Tusk – Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
• July 13th American Rapture
• July 20th Ed Palermo’s British Invasion/Beach Boys Tribute
• July 27th Pat Dinizio of The Smithereens – Confessions of a Rock Star

OAK RIDGE PARK - CLARK:

• August 3rd Black Dog – Tribute to Led Zeppelin
• August 10th Dead On Live – Grateful Dead Tribute Band
• August 17th Hey Bulldog – Music of The Beatles
• August 24th N.Y. State of Mind – Billy Joel Tribute