Tuesday in the Park with Lunch

Before today, I’d never been to the Lunchtime at Hurkamp Park concert series, since it is held from 11:30-1:30 on Tuesdays, right in the middle of the workday. But as of yesterday, I am officially retired. So now I get to discover all of the middle-of-the-weekday events that I’ve been missing (if you know of any others, let me know). I was expecting the crowd to be mainly retirees, but it turned out to be more the mommy crowd, with more strollers and toddlers than I’ve seen in one place in Fredericksburg in a long time. There were plenty of folding chairs set up, and some tables with umbrellas to add a little extra shade to the very sunny (and today, hot) park, but most people sat in the shade of the big trees scattered throughout the park.



Local musician Wil Gravatt was the performer today, with his steel guitarist Jimbo Byram. How have I lived in this town for so long without having heard Wil Gravatt? Heard of, yes...heard, no. We really enjoyed his traditional country and western sound, with a honky-tonk flavor. I’ll definitely be paying more attention the next time I see his name on the schedule somewhere.



There were food vendors, in case you wanted to buy your lunch, plus a few mostly kid-friendly booths, like face painting. Despite the heat, the kids seemed to be happy just running, playing and dancing.



The Lunchtime in the Park series runs during May, June and September. We're planning to go as often as we can.

And speaking of local concert series, Music on the Library Steps started last night with a favorite of mine, the Sensations, a 10-man group who do R&B, soul & Motown classics, with a solid horn section and a great vocalist. Up next Monday: the Dixie Power Trio.