Chairmen of the Board to open Downtown Newton’s Music on Main Summer Concert Series

Free concert in celebration of Juneteenth to feature legends of soul music on June 15

NEWTON, NC—Downtown Newton’s Music on Main Summer Concert Series opens this week with Chairmen of the Board, the acclaimed rhythm and blues performers and icons of Carolina beach music. The free concert is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 15, at the Frank & Sue Jones Amphitheatre, and is held in conjunction with Juneteenth commemorations and celebrations across Catawba County.

Grab your dancing shoes, and bring a blanket or lawn chair. Pack a picnic or call in your dinner order from a local establishment. Music on Main in Downtown Newton offers residents and visitors the chance to get a head start on the weekend while kicking back and enjoying a charming, authentic small town filled with independent restaurants, museums, breweries, and shops

The evening will begin with remarks on Juneteenth from Newton City Council Member Beverly Danner. Chairmen of the Board will then take the stage to deliver what promises to be an extraordinary performance on a night dedicated to reflection and rejoicing. Ken Knox, a 38-year member of Chairmen of the Board, currently leads Thomas Hunter, Patrick McGuire, and the six additional musicians who make up the group. The Chairmen are among the most consistent hitmakers in soul music and were inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 1999.

As the tree-lined streets around the 1924 Courthouse Square resonate with the smooth sounds of classic hits like “Carolina Girls,” “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” and You’ve Got Me Dangling on a String,” concertgoers will have the opportunity to take part in special activities and giveaways, choose from a variety of food truck vendors, and sip and stroll through the Downtown Newton Social District.

Complimentary activities during the concert will include cornhole, axe throwing, and a basketball free throw game. Library to Go—Catawba County’s mobile library and state-of-the-art traveling exploration station—will be at the concert to expand access to empowering resources and programs and provide a space for children and adults to learn, lounge, and play.

Beginning at 5 p.m., food trucks will offer food and drink for purchase. Food trucks scheduled to attend include Caribbean Sandwich and Pinchos, Chugar Frappe, JK Cones, Ju-Lei’s Sweet Ice, Hotshots Hotdogs, Pooter Pop Kettle Corn, RiQras de Empanadasrus, Third Eye Coffee, Whitener’s Concessions, and Wholey Cow.

Juneteenth, which is short for June Nineteenth, marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to proclaim that all enslaved people were free. The troops’ arrival came two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth is our country’s second independence day and honors the end to slavery in the United States. On June 17, 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday.

On May 19, Catawba County agencies and organizations began commemorating Juneteenth with celebrations, performances, parades, guest speakers, revival, resource fairs, informative programing, and family gatherings. Find details about Juneteenth commemorations scheduled through June 19 at www.bit.ly/catawbajuneteenth.

This project is supported by a grant from the United Arts Council of Catawba County.

Music on Main Summer Concert Series performances begin at 6 p.m. select Thursdays at the Frank & Sue Jones Amphitheatre, 16 North Main Ave., across the street from the 1924 Courthouse Square. Concertgoers are welcome to park in any of the free, on-street parking spaces and free public parking lots around the event perimeter. To safely accommodate the concerts, road closures will be in effect from 5 to 9 p.m. the evening of each concert on Main Avenue from 1st Street to A Street, on A Street from Main Avenue to College Avenue, and on 1st Street from College Avenue to Ashe Avenue.

In addition to Chairmen of the Board, musical groups scheduled to perform at Music on Main this summer include:

• July 13: Island Time Band—laid-back musicians playing tunes from Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.
• Aug. 10:  Gary Lowder & Smokin’ Hot—Carolina beach music at its finest.
• Sept 14: Trial By Fire—High-energy performers bringing you Journey’s greatest hits.

The Music on Main Summer Concert Series is presented by Downtown Newton Development Association (DNDA), a nonprofit whose mission is to cultivate and elevate the vitality of downtown through collaboration and fostering community partnerships in an inclusive and welcoming environment. Learn more about Music on Main and the work of DNDA by visiting www.downtownnewton.org and by liking and following the DNDA’s Facebook page, Visit Downtown Newton, NC.