Sunday, October 4, 2009

Catt's Brown Bag Concert Series



The 92 ZEW radio station offers a series of concerts in the park every fall. The series, dubbed "The Brown Bag Concerts", occurs on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of each week from 11:30 to 1:30. A different local artist(s) performs live in the park. There are a variety of music genres offered which reflects the eclectic format of the radio station. Wednesdays concerts are held in Bienville square in downtown Mobile, Thursdays are performed in May Day Park in historic Daphne, and Fridays are located in front of Faulkner State in Fairhope (at the corner of Bancroft and Fairhope Ave).

With the weather cooling off it was a real treat for me to take my lunch down to May Day Park and listen to Jimmy Robinson play his acoustic 12 string guitar. Mr. Robinson played a variety of instrumental pieces and sang a few songs as well. My co-worker and I enjoyed his talent. There are picnic benches and grills near the playground area if you want indulge in a cookout or picnic. The amphitheater area where the performance is located is down the hill from the playground which helps prevent the sounds of small children squealing on the swings from drowning out the music. Many attendees brought their own folding chairs. The afternoon was sunny but the concert area is shaded by enormous oak trees so no need for sun screen. There was a lovely tiny breeze blowing and a gorgeous view of Mobile Bay in the background. In short, it was a great way to have lunch and take a break from the work day.

May Day Park also features a fishing pier, boat ramp, rest rooms and a board walk. There's a small sandy beach that is very popular with kids. I have taken my grandson down there and he has a wonderful time wading in the water. A quick note about playing in the water here. First, it gets deep quickly so make sure you stay close to small children. I wouldn't let mine get more than six feet from the shore line. I also discovered, while doing research for this post, that there have been warnings issued stating that the bacteria levels in the area were too high to go swimming. The warnings were for brief periods of time but I will admit that we may not use this as a swimming hole in the future.

The concert series runs from Sept. 2 through Oct. 30 so there are only a few weeks left to enjoy it. Winter will be here before we know it and our warm weather will be gone. If you work close to any of the three parks or you are lucky enough to be off during the week, gather up some co-workers and plan a quick lunch in the park. It's a great solution to the work week blues.



1 comment:

Becca's Dirt said...

I'm sure it is a great way to spend lunch time. I've never worked near the parks.