Occurring every Friday through the end of August, the Lake Lansing Band Shell Committee reigns in various musical acts, from barbershop stylings, to polka, to classic rock, and grants attendees free-of-charge parking and admission.
All the while, concert-goers can utilize the paddle boats, concessions, volleyball sand courts, grills, picnic areas, playgrounds, a bounce house, beach area and an inflatable slide.
On Friday the band Soulstice jammed out on saxophone, trumpet, bass, electric guitar and drums, playing top 40 hits and inciting dancing among the crowd.
Band Shell Committee member and Haslett resident Laura Gilles said the committee selects bands that are suitable for all tastes and vary in genre.
Gilles said the concert series is a welcoming place for people of all ages and a chance to learn more about one another.
“It’s a place where you meet your neighbors — everybody comes,” Gilles said. “Everybody gets to know one another and see the children grow.”
Media and information sophomore and Haslett resident Dan Stephens has spent his past three summers working at the park. Stephens said the Band Shell is a driving force of community spirit and summertime celebration.
“This bandshell wasn’t always here, and ever since they built it there’s been a great sense of community around here,” he said.
Aengus McIntosh, Haslett resident and Band Shell Committee chairperson, said the concert series has been a central part of the community since its inception 12 years ago.
What started off as an event with an average attendance of nearly 100 people, grew ninefold in the number of concert-goers, McIntosh said.
Reema Aldhaneem, mechanical engineering senior, decided to celebrate the sunny Friday with friends by grilling out at the park. The music, she said, was an unexpected addition to the evening.
Aldhaneem said she found the park several years ago when she was bored and looking for something to do.
She said the park is a nice addition to life in East Lansing.
