Free outdoor concerts are coming back: What to know about this year’s Levitt season

Get ready to return to Levitt at the Falls this summer, where 43 outdoor concerts will be waiting.

When

The shows will start June 11 and wrap up Sept. 11 – weather-dependent, of course.

“The plan is that in June and September the concerts will be on every Friday and Saturday night, and in July and August we’ll bump it up and do Thursday, Friday, Saturday night,” executive director Nancy Halverson said.

“We also are planning four morning shows at 10 a.m. Friday morning for kids.”

Who

The lineup hasn’t been released yet, but we’ve got some hints.

“The season is just so great,” Halvorson said.

It includes 12 Grammy-winning artists, for instance. All performers are professional artists.

And the opening artist – Ranky Tanky – is a Grammy-winning group from South Carolina. The name Ranky Tanky means “time to party” in the Gullah tradition in the Lowcountry region. Fitting, right?

“So they are going to bring the party,” Halverson said. “It’s going to be so much fun.”

The COVID factor

Of course, COVID-19 likely won’t be gone by the time the first Levitt performers take the stage.

Levitt is working with Sanford Health to develop protocols for the concerts.

It’s possible organizers will have to paint lines on the lawn to keep people spaced out, but that’s not final yet.

“We’re hoping people will continue to get their shots, and we won’t need to go to that, but we’re prepared to do that if we need to,” Halverson said.

There also will be safety measures in place for the musicians. And unfortunately, some international acts aren’t able to get visas this year.

“There’s still a lot of moving parts,” Halverson said. “I think you will be very pleased when you see it. We’re really focused on trying to bring you a very diverse season of music.”

Levitt also will continue its neighborhood programs, bringing 20 small pop-up concerts to neighborhoods throughout the city.