No sooner had I written a column about our local festivals and traditions, and how we must be better stewards of our cherished events, than my phone rang. It was Michelle Turner on the other line. When Michelle calls, it’s usually to share something she’s dreaming up or involved in, and so everybody always welcomes her calls.

And she didn’t disappoint. She announced that she’s teamed up with the Lakewood Community Development Corpration to present four lakeside concerts this summer in Hartley Park. The series, named “Rock The Lake,” will run on Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. and will feature an incredible and thoughtfully planned line up of music, including a few groups many will remember from the old Pops days.

Turner and the LCDC seem to be imbuing this new concert series with its own vibe – a fresh start on a cherished tradition. Rather than perform on a floating dock, the entertainment will play from a stage constructed at the bottom of the hill in the park. The stage itself will have an open concept, so boaters anchoring to enjoy the show from the lake will have a good view.

Turner was a member of the team at the Bemus Bay Pops for five years, so she learned the ropes there.

“I saw what the concerts brought to the community,” she told me, “and I saw the people it drew from the tri-state area and the overall economic impact that program brought to Chautauqua County.”

Turner says the concerts were truly missed by the whole area, and she had Hartley Park on her mind for a few years as possibly the “perfect venue” to bring lakeside concerts back from the dead. Turner, who has lived in the village for 30 years, and grew up in Chautauqua County, is a big fan of the recent developments in the park, with its truly amazing multi-level playground and newly resurfaced tennis courts. So, with the park in mind, she brought her idea to the LCDC who were really receptive, and now they’re on their way to finalizing plans for the summer concert series.

“We have a stage coming in that will be built on the beach,” Turner explained, “so the concerts can be viewed by anyone coming in by boat, as well as the people coming in with their lawn chairs and yard blankets.”

The concerts will be free to the public, thanks to a group of community sponsors who are always integral to big projects like this. “We’ve been building our sponsor base and the result has been fantastic,” Turner said.

Also planned for the Sunday events are food trucks and a VIP tent for the sponsors.

The first concert, themed “Let’s Get Country” will take place on July 6th and the opening act will feature the singing duo “The Drye’s” from Nashville, Tennessee. The husband and wife couple performed on The Voice in 2022 and were a part of Blake Shelton’s team.

They’ll be followed by Sean Patrick McGraw & the James’s. They’re also a Nashville Group that has been touring together for 15 years. They’ve opened for Toby Keith, Diers Bentley and Eric Church.

On July 27, the in-demand “Hollywood Nights” will be the featured group–a cover band for Bob Seger, which was a much-loved band back from the days of the Pops. The “Rat Pack Show” takes place on August 10th, feauturing covers for Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior and Dean Martin. And last but not least “Brass Transit” will end the season on August 24 covering the band “Chicago.”

“We’re trying to build a program this summer that will appeal to everybody,” Turner said. “A couple of these bands have performed in the past on the floating stage and they’re all excited to come back.”

The concerts will take place rain or shine, so Turner says she’s hoping the weather Gods will be watching over Lakewood on concert days. And I say, after this winter, it’s the least the weather Gods can do.

We’re lucky that when one door closes, we have people like Michelle and the good people in leadership in Lakewood to crank the door back open again. And how great do these Sundays sound? Especially on cold January weeks like this. It really gives everyone something to look forward to.

The sun will shine again folks! One day this summer you’ll be sitting on the Hartley Park hill on your striped lawn chair, in shorts, tapping your foot to Barbara or Bob, and thinking about how good life is.

Hats off to the thinkers and planners in our communities who make our lives better and our summers grand.