Another Incredible Year for Summer Concerts
The 2026 Summer Concerts wrapped up on a high note
By the 4th week, the entire park was packed with neighbors from UH and surrounding communities.
Over four wonderful evenings, neighbors, families, and friends gathered at Trolley Barn Park to enjoy live music, great food, and the simple joy of spending a summer evening together. Based on photo-based attendance estimates, the series welcomed approximately 4,050 people-visits, with attendance growing every single week.
Josie, the champion fundraiser, helped collect donations
This year’s concerts — the 28th season — were produced in tribute to Ernie Bonn, long-time University Heights Community Development Corporation (UHCDC) leader and heart and soul of Summer Concerts in the Park for over 27 years. Ernie passed away in February, leaving an amazing legacy of helping build, improve, and enhance our University Heights community.
Families and friends gathered to enjoy the summer evenings with picnic baskets
The season opened with an estimated 700 attendees, climbed to 850 in Week 2, reached 1,000 in Week 3, and concluded with an estimated 1,500 people filling the park for our biggest concert of the summer. Seeing the lawn packed with picnic blankets, lawn chairs, dancing children, and smiling neighbors was a wonderful reminder of what makes UH such a special community.
These concerts are about much more than music. They’re about neighbors meeting neighbors, children making memories on the playground, local businesses and food vendors connecting with the community, and creating a welcoming place where everyone feels at home.
This year’s success would not have been possible without our generous sponsors, talented musicians, dedicated volunteers, vendors, and everyone who came out to support the series. Your enthusiasm turned each concert into something bigger than the week before and helped make this our most successful season yet.
Sponsorships and donations not only help pay for these free concerts but also help both UHCDC and University Heights Community Association (UHCA) fund many more activities that contribute to helping improve life in UH. Despite the growing costs of things like stage rental, porta-potties, trash dumpsters, and the bands themselves — the Summer Concerts were a successful fundraiser for both organizations.
This year also featured an expansion of artists, craftspeople, and other neighborhood vendors who brought a whole new dimension to the event, and whose support helped make this a huge success. Thanks to @letsgetsonnys, @colormediaz, @yellow.moon.art, @rickclarkeart, @rosecoloredchels.art, @DogTrainingByLola,
@shinebycaroline, @ATT, @tabbymanorsd, @thermalpotterylab, @tipsytruckSD, OnlyCurb.com, @HappyPatchDenimCo, @friendsoftheuhlibrary,
@FarmFreshToYou, @kurrents, www.eddieteachestech.com.
On behalf of the all-volunteer teams at both the UHCDC, producer of the event, and UHCA, who assisted with sponsorships, promotion, and marketing, thank you for making another summer in the park such a tremendous success.
We can’t wait to do it all again next year. If this year’s attendance is any indication, 2027 is going to be even bigger!
