It's officially summertime, yay! That means I Love Summer in Sparta is in full swing, and there is so much to look forward to!
Kicking off the June fun is Thursdays on the Square! You can drop by Sparta Town Square (201 E. Division) every Thursday starting on June 1st from 6-8 to enjoy live music! You can grab a bite to eat from any of the many area eateries, and you can walk around with an adult beverage from any of our participating social district restaurants! It's a great time to hang out with friends and family while enjoying live music and Sparta's beautiful downtown area!
Second up, is Superhero and Princess Night in Rogers Park! Join us on June 7 at 6:30 pm with DJ Dan for a night of superhero and princess-themed fun! There will be music, activities, and Princesses and Superheros walking around!
Third on the list of awesome activities in Sparta are Concerts in the Park! If you haven't been to a Concert in Roger's Park, make sure to get down there at least once this summer and check it out! The concerts are every Wednesday at 6:30, starting June 14 - August 9. They take place in Rogers Park (75 N. Union)! So you can bring a blanket or a lawn chair and relax in the warm summer breeze. Nearby the park is a playground where kids can run and play and an ice cream shop where you can treat yourself to something sweet! Combine that with live music and you've got a perfect family outing destination! And this year, Concerts in the Park are getting even better! Some of our local restaurants are offering picnic dinners to go! So all you have to do is swing by and pick up your dinner. No mess in the kitchen, no cooking hassle, just an easy pickup-and-go! Plus, Sparta restaurants offer amazing meals, so you know you'll be eating good with a picnic dinner to go! Just when you thought Concerts in the Park couldn't get any better, here's one last tidbit to make your day! Sparta Social District is still in effect, which means you can grab an adult beverage from a participating Social District Location and bring it with you to the park! Drinks, food, music, and fun, how does it get any better than that?
June 14 - Blue Water Rockers (Oldies)
June 21 - The Still Wonder (Acoustic Folk/Rock)
June 28 - Rochelle & The Spoilers (Blues)
Next is the Beer & Brat Street Fest! As you may have guessed from the name, it features specialty brats and craft beer, but that's just the beginning! All brats will come from locally sourced businesses: Frank's Market, Ludington Meat Company, and Sobie Meats. Craft beer will be sold from a variety of local businesses including Brick Haus Brews and Ed Dunneback & Girls Pink Barrel Cellars! This year, Beer & Brat Fest boasts 3 stages that will be hosting all kinds of live music throughout the entire festival! There will also be some ticketed games; Axe throwing and fowling are returning this year, and being added to the queue of events are bumper cars and a dunk tank! (All proceeds from the dunk tank will be donated to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital!) Also, new this year are different activities that are included with your event tickets! Caricature drawing, macrame keychain making, and plant-your-own-succulents are some of the mak-and-take activities that you can use your event ticket for! You can buy tickets for the events and brats at the event, or you can save by purchasing an Event Lanyard at this link! You're still welcome if you're not interested in any of those activities but want to enjoy the atmosphere! You can listen to live music, play Jenga and connect four, or walk the market, all for free!
Finally, wrapping up all the June fun is the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus! On June 23, watch a traditional circus performance under the big top tent! They will have two 90-minute performances in Balyeat Field (182 Olmstead), one at 5 pm and the other at 7:30 pm. you can get discounted tickets in advance at the Chamber Office or online at spartachamber.com/circus! Otherwise, tickets will also be for sale at full price on the day of the show. If you're curious about the circus's daily operations, come for a free public tour at 9:30 am! You will get to meet the animals up close, learn about their routine and care, and watch the tent raising!
With so much fun planned for June, is it any wonder that we can't wait for it to begin? There's something for everyone in Sparta this summer, can't wait to see you there!
