Summertime abounds with free outdoor concerts, movies in Saginaw, Midland, Bay City

Saginaw Area Youth Jazz Ensemble

compiled by janet i. martineau

Saginaw, Midland and Bay City once again offer a long list of free outdoor concerts and movies this summer. All readers need to do is pack up a lawn chair or blanket and head on out to....

PRIDE’S Friday Night Live

5:30-9pm in Morley Plaza, next to the Temple Theater at 203 N. Washington in Saginaw. Those 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Food and drink vendors.

-- July 11, Classic Rock Night. Headliner: Sound Alternative. Opening: Grefe, Gaus, Grefe

-- July 18, Country Night.  Headliner: Chris Stapleton. Opening: Mandi Layne & The Lost Highway

-- July 25, Latin Night.  Headliner: Baraja De Oro. Opening: Conjunta Champz

-- Aug. 1, Jazz Night. Headliner:  Michigan Jazz Trail Big Band. Opening: Robert Lee Revue

-- Aug 8, Oldies Night.  Headliner: Billy Mack & The Juke Joint Johnnies. Opening: Josh Ramses Band

-- Aug. 15, Motown Night. Headliner: KGB. Opening: Soul Street

KCQ Country Music Fest

7am-5pm Saturday, June 21, on Ojibway Island in Saginaw. (Section 98 seating $29.98, preferred gold seating $9.80, parking on island $15 -- rest of island free seating and parking off island free). Classic car show, food tent, arts and crafts show, children's area.

-- 11am, Dani Vitany and Ten Hands Tall

-- 1:30 pm, Frankie Ballard

-- 3:30pm, Montgomery Gentry

Montgomery Gentry

20th Anniversary Freak Show

Noon-9pm Saturday, June 14, in Midland's Central Park, Rodd at Collins. Coolers and picnic baskets welcome. 

-- 12:00 No Strings Attached

-- 12:45 Poetry Reading by Larry Levy

-- 1:15 Cody Cruz Box and Will Jackson

-- 2:00 Brett Mitchell 

-- 3:00 Fireball's Revenge 

-- 3:15 Mellodic Terror

-- 4:15 J.Parx Band

-- 5:00 Killer Kong

-- 6:00 The Outlaws of Zen 

-- 7:00 Dan and Adam 

-- 8:00 Devils on Your Shoulder

Freeland Palooza

12:30-10pm Saturday, June 14, in  Tittabawassee Township Park, 9200 Midland Road in Freeland.

Performing are War Machine, a KISS tribute band, along with Greta Van Fleet, Deadman Serenade, Kyle Mayer, The HitMen, Ban Shee, Barbarossa Brothers, Magic Flight, Marsupial Creampie and Armor The Forest. Activities for the kids:  arts and crafts, a bounce house and a climbing rock.

Jazz in the Garden

7pm Wednesdays in the Andersen Enrichment Center Rose Garden, 120 Ezra Rust in Saginaw.

-- July 9, Brush Street with Julie Mulady

-- July 16, New Reformation Band

-- July 23, Cool Lemon Jazz

-- July 30, Saginaw Area Youth Jazz Ensemble 

Old Saginaw City Lawn Chair Film Festival

Dusk on Sundays, corner of Ames and N. Hamilton in Saginaw. Food vendors.

-- June 29, "American Hustle"

-- July 6, "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

-- July 13, "Young Frankenstein"

-- July 20, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

-- July 27, "The Big Lebowski"

-- Aug. 3, "The Lego Movie"

-- Aug. 10, "Dancing Queen"

-- Aug. 17, "X-men: Days of Future Past"

Tunes by the Tridge 

Unless otherwise noted, 7-9 Thursdays by the Tridge in downtown Midland.

-- June 12, Ray Kamalay & His Red Hot Chili Peppers, jazz

-- June 19, The Hit Men, R&B/Motown

-- June 26, Loose Change, rock

-- July 3,  Matt Moore, Christian

-- Friday, July 4, at 5:30-7:30 pm: Butch Heath, country; 8-10 pm: Steve Armstrong and the 25 Cent Beer Band, country

-- July 10, The Saucecats, Cajun/zydeco

-- July 17, Double Dawn, country

-- July 24, David Gerald, blues

--July 31, Resonators, percussion

-- Aug. 7, ROCK the Tridge, Battle of the Bands

Party on McCarty

5:30-9pm Thursdays on the grounds of the Saginaw Township Soccer Complex, 3576 McCarty. Food vendors. Beer and wine tent. Concerts free but $5 for parking on site.

-- June 12, Margarita Night. Bullseye Band with special guest Ali Denman and Air Margaritaville

-- June 26, Hot Mix Night. Dani Vitany and Ten Hands Tall Band and Cancel Monday with special guest Shubha Vedula

-- July 10, 80s Night. Riptide with special guest Elizabeth Soule and Jedi Mind Trip with special guest Jenny Cohen

-- July 24,  R&B/Motown Night. Honesty and the Liars with special guest Rachael Garner and Serieux

-- Aug. 7, Country Night. 25 Cent Beer Band and Mandi Layne and the Lost Highway featuring special guest Rachel Seamon

-- Aug. 21,  Classic Rock Night. Under Advisement

Frankenmuth Concerts in the Park

7pm Sundays at the Palmer Schau Platz in Memorial Park. Hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, strawberry shortcake, hot fudge sundaes, root beer floats, soft drinks for sale.

-- June 22, Elvis Tribute featuring professional actor Max Pellicano.

-- June 29, Tribute to the Rat Pack. A celebration of the lives and music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. 

-- July 6, Johnny Cash by Terry Lee, who has appeared on stage with Marty Robbins, Bill Anderson, Ernest Tubb, Sonny James, Conway Twitty and Willie Nelson. 

-- July 13, Abbamania, a Canadian-produced musical which takes you back to the disco era of one of its best bands.

-- July 20, Bee Gees "Stayin' Alive" Tribute

-- July 27, Neil Diamond Tribute, featuring Will Chalmers.

-- Aug. 3, The Diamonds, performing the songs that made them famous, like “Little Darlin," “Kathy O” and “Why Do Fools Fall in Love."

-- Aug. 10, Tribute to John Denver

Wednesdays in the Park

6-6:45pm opening act, 7-8:30pm headliner, Wenonah Park in downtown Bay City.

-- June 18 , Your Generation featuring 50 Amp Fuse, a musical revue from 60’s to present. Opening Act: Bob Hausler

-- June 25 , Bay Concert Band. Opening Act: The String Thing

-- July 9 , Battle of the Bands winner Operation 13 . Opening Act: Elements of Funk

-- July 16 , Saginaw Elite Big Band. Opening Act: Jason Singer

-- July 23 , Bee Gees “Night Fever” tribute act. Opening Act: The Seagulls

-- July 30 , Jimmy Buffet “Pirates of the Caribbean” tribute act. Opening Act:  Oehrlein Dance School

-- Aug. 6 , Phil Dirt and the Dozers. Opening Act: Joe Balbaugh

Saginaw Eddy Concert Band

(NEW VENUE) 7pm Sundays in First Merit Event Park, 300 Johnson in Saginaw.

-- June 14, "Dance Fever Under the Stars"

-- June 22, "Summer Songs"

-- June 29, "Musical Travelogue"

-- July 3, "Star Spangled Spectacular"

-- July 13, "Oldies, Hits and Favorites"

-- July 20, "Celebrations and Holidays"

-- July 27, "3M: Marches, Movies and Musicals"

-- Aug. 3, "The Best of the Eddy Band"

Tittabawassee Township Concerts in the Park

Unless otherwise noted, 7pm Wednesdays in Tittabawassee Township Park, 9200 Old Midland Road in Freeland.

-- June 18, Butch Heath Country Classic, 5-10pm (rain date June 25), food and drink vendors. Burt Watson Chevrolet in Freeland will run a free shuttle from its dealership on M-47 to the concert grounds from 4 p.m. to close. 

-- July 9, The Beets, music from 1950s-1990s

-- July 16, The Sinclairs, rock/pops/classics

-- July 23, Laurie Middlebrook Family Night, country music, with a beer tent, food vendors, activities for children 

-- July 30, Empty Pockets, rock

-- Aug. 6, Pete Woodman and The Hips, classic rock/Motown/blues

-- Aug. 13, Honesty and the Liars, rock/pops/blues

-- Aug. 19 (a Tuesday), Pangbourne and the District Silver Band, a British brass band from England

Thomas Township Picnic in the Park

6:30-9pm Tuesdays in Roethke Park, 400 Leddy Road in Shields. Concessions.

Brush Street With Julie Mulady

-- June 17, Day 8 Band

-- June 24, The Toppermost Beatle Tribute

-- July 8, Brush Street with Julie Mulady

-- July 15, The Beets

-- July 22, Butch Heath and the Country Reunion

-- July 29, The Rock Show

-- Aug. 5, Laurie Middlebrook Band

-- Aug. 12, CEYX

-- Aug. 19, The Bullseye Band

Music From the Marsh

7-8pm Saturdays at the Bay City Recreation Area Visitors Center, 3582 State Park Drive in Bay City. In case of rain, moves indoors at the adjacent Saginaw Bay Visitors Center. Concerts. Free but there is a vehicle entrance fee to the park.

-- June 14,  Bob Hausler, “Flag Day & Patriotic Songs”

-- June 21, Jill Jack,  "Jill Jack's Pure Michigan"

-- June 28, Elden Kelly, “Gibson Guitar...Born & Bred in Kalamazoo”

-- July 5, Doug E. Rees, “Making Tracks with Train and Truck Songs”

-- July 12, Lee Murdock, “Great Lakes Ghosts & Shipwrecks”

-- July 19, George Heritier, “Drunk Bugs & Bay City Ballads”

-- July 26, John Latini, “Baseball, Beaches & Other Summer Time Songs”

-- Aug. 2, Siusan O’Rourke & Zig Zeitler, “Our People: Migration to Michigan” 

-- Aug. 9, Dave Boutette, “Saturday Night With the Campfire Kid”

-- Aug.16, Magdalen Fossum (age 13),  “Girls Rock! Women Who Made History in Michigan” 

-- Aug. 23, Jamie-Sue Seal, “Motown...Hits & History from Hitsville USA”

-- Aug. 30, Jay Stielstra & Judy Banker, “Manistee Waltzes & Tittabawassee Tunes” 

.

Classic Legacy Band of Saginaw

At 7:30pm June and July; 7pm August in the Andersen Enrichment Center Rose Garden, 120 Ezra Rust in Saginaw.

-- June 19

-- July 17

-- Aug. 21

Fridays at the Falls

6-7pm Fridays at Third Street Waterfall Park, Third and Water Streets in Bay City.

-- July 4, Scott Baker and the Universal Expression

-- July 11, Magic with Tommy Anderson

-- July 18, The String Thing

-- July 25, The TOYZ

-- Aug. 1, Singer/Songwriter Andy Reed and Friends

-- Aug.  8, Big Dreams

-- Aug. 15, Magic and Ballon creations with Cameron Zvara

-- Aug. 22, Josh Ramses Band

Historical Society of Bridgeport Concerts in the Park

7-8:30pm Tuesdays by the Donna Lamb Memorial Gazebo in the Bridgeport Historical Village, 6190 Dixie Highway. If  weather is bad, concert inside site's Old Town Hall. Popcorn, pop and water available.

-- July 8, Crockpot Band, classic country

-- July 15, Knee Deep, variety

-- July 22, Treblemakers, Operation 13, rock

-- July 29, Sandra Bauman, polkas and waltzes

-- Aug. 5, Bob Holtzapple's Talent Roundup

-- Aug. 12, Laurie Middlebrook / Eva Stone Trio, acoustic

-- Aug.19, Road Dawgz, classic rock

-- Aug. 26, The Baytones, big band

Dow Gardens in Midland

Noon-1:30pm Wednesday. Technically these events are not free. The gardens at 1809 West St. Andrews sells a yearly pass for $10, which makes them close to free, or $5 per visit without purchase of the pass

-- June 18,  Gary & Julie Tussie, blues and jazz

-- June 25,  Stringtown Trio, Irish folk music

-- July 2,  Honesty & Jim, oldies

-- Runs through Aug. 20, rest TBA

Folk Music Sundays:

4-6 pm July 6 and Aug. 3