Lexington, KY - Considering the dozen issues of this magazine we put out each year, our June issue is one I most gladly anticipate producing. The enthusiasm is due to our annual Summer Entertainment Guide, which includes information on scads of festivals and series scheduled throughout Lexington during the coming months. It's fun to put together and to see what event organizers have planned for the coming season.
And there's a lot. If I were the type of person who kept a datebook, I would probably already have a good majority of my summer evenings and weekends scheduled.
Of course, our listings are at the mercy of local groups' preparedness (and I know some organizers probably grumble under their breathes when we start calling in early May to confirm the specifics for an event or festival that doesn't take place until August or September, while others appreciate the impetus of our "deadline" to solidify plans), but I'm always impressed with the degree of comprehensiveness this guide has exhibited for the past three years.
Even more, as we've chronicled the area's summer entertainment options, it's been interesting, and even encouraging, to watch many events, even the ones that have become synonymous with the season, evolve over the course of just the past few years.
Thursday Night Live, in particular, comes to mind. When Renee Jackson and company took over the helm of Downtown Lexington Corporation, they gave this weekly music and mingling series a jolt of sprightly revitalization that is evidenced by the hundreds of people that descend on Cheapside Park every Thursday. It's a scene, man. And now, with the installation of the Fifth Third Pavilion at the park, the continued success of this series is likely - even if we do have a rainy summer. (Beginning this year, the Downtown Lexington Corporation will be handling the city's annual Fourth of July festival, which is certainly an appealing prospect.)
The Southland Jamboree, a weekly concert held every Tuesday through the beginning of September, is another program that continues to grow in popularity. Only in its sixth season, the bluegrass music series has already become a summer hallmark and attracts a large, dedicated crowd of hundreds of fans week in and week out. In an attempt to help brand Southland Drive as a music destination and honor bluegrass music's legacy in Lexington, the Friends of the Southland Jamboree, in conjunction with the Southland Association and Collins Bowling Center, have created a musical institution for years to come.
Gearing up for its first summer of programming, MoonDance at Midnight Pass, the new amphitheater in the Beaumont Center Circle, is a welcome new venue for seasonal entertainment, especially for those living on Lexington's south side of town. With LexArts now in charge of booking and hosting events at MoonDance, its inaugural season, which includes both music and movie series, as well as community events, looks promising. I don't have any doubts that these events will soon secure their place on people's calendars throughout the summer. I'm looking forward to watch this transpire.
While the unseasonably cold weather and rain tainted the spring here in Lexington, this summer, and its abundance of entertainment offerings, is certainly a welcome time of the year.
Winter's gone, summer's on the vine. And the pickings are plentiful. I hope this issue can help you find the low-hanging fruit.