Diverse music to be performed in downtown New Milford

NEW MILFORD, Conn. — Where can someone go for a free night of music?

The New Milford Village Green. 

For five straight weeks in August, a free concert with a different band will be presented at 7 p.m. at the bandstand in the heart of downtown.

The Concerts on the Green series, formerly known as the Edwin Kinkade Concert Series, has long been a popular event in the community, attracting hundreds of patrons who bring picnic lunches, blankets and/or chairs.

This year’s lineup includes a diverse musical mix of blues, country, and pop classics, according to New Milford Commission on the Arts organizers, which hosts the series.

In the event of rain, the concerts will be held at the First Congregational Church, 36 Main St.

Nina Et cetera, a soulful, jazz group, will open the series Aug. 2, performing a combination of original and well-known country, pop, rock and roll, and blues songs.

The group has been a staple in numerous venues in the Tri-State area for 10 years.

This will be their second visit to concert series.

Courtesy of Nina Et cetera/Nina Et cetera will kick off the concert series Aug. 2.

The following week, on Aug. 9, the Grateful Dead tribute band Ace & Friends will perform.

Established in 2016, the group performs at music venues, festivals, community concerts, private clubs and parties in Connecticut and New York.

The band’s set list is large, with more than 200 songs that were written or covered by the Dead and/or its members.

The Afro-Semitic Experience will take the stage Aug. 16, to present a tapestry of “spiritual, world-beat, funk, jazz, cantorial, gospel, salsa, swing . . . soul-driven music,” according to the band’s website.

The band, co-founded by African-American jazz pianist Warren Byrd and Jewish-American jazz bassist David Chevan in 1998, celebrates community and culture. 

Mike Burns & Highway 53, a group that plays toe-tapping country tunes, will entertain the audience Aug. 23. 

Burns plays alongside Tomy Hagymasi on fiddle and button accordion, and David Dunaway on bass.

Photo courtesy of The Red Dirt Girls/The Red Dirt Girls will conclude the summer concert series.

The Red Dirt Girls will conclude the series Aug. 30, performing dynamic blues and Americana vibes.

For more information, visit www.artsnewmilfordct.org, or follow “New Milford Commission on the Art Events” on Facebook or @artwalknewmilford on Instagram.