Town of Clay heats up with summer concerts

Good food and good tunes

Summertime is almost here. The weather is getting warmer and the kids will soon be out of school. And you will start wondering, “How can I keep them entertained?”

The town of Clay has the answer for you.

The town offers many summer programs in all different categories for children and adults.

There are playground programs, camps for subjects such as art, drama and science, and lessons for rowing, diving, tennis, swimming and golf. The complete list of the programs can be found at townofclay.org under the recreation department.

The town of Clay has planned Tuesday night concerts throughout the summer. They will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. beginning Tuesday June 15 and running until Aug. 10 at Clay Central Park off Wetzel Road, located near the YMCA. The Aug. 10 concert will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. because of shorter days.

Bring your lawn chairs, coolers, have a picnic or grill food for the whole family. Food and refreshments from a different local restaurant each week will also be available for purchase.

“My friend and I grab our chairs and walk over,” Carol Shifflet, of Clay, said. “It’s a great time with good music.”

Clay Recreation Commissioner Wayne Morris said the concerts are the town’s best family-oriented recreational program.

“You can cook your food or buy food; you can bring children and grandparents. It encompasses a lot of things: music, family, food and relaxation,” Morris said.

The concerts draw big crowds. The average crowd is between 200 and 300 people, but as many as 700 people have gathered for some shows.

Information about each band’s style of music is also available at townofclay.com.

If Tuesdays aren’t a good night for you, there are Monday and Wednesday concerts from 7 to 9 p.m. in the village of Liverpool at Johnson Park. There are different performers each night with many styles of music represented. The schedule starts June 7 and runs until Aug. 25. Some of the music genres include rock and roll oldies, jazz, country, folk, Latin, polka, R&B and bluegrass. There is something for everyone. The complete list is on their website at villageofliverpool.org.

North Syracuse also has its own concert series held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday nights at Lonergan Park which is located behind Goldberg’s Furniture on Route 11. There are 10 concerts planned throughout the summer beginning June 30 and ending Sept. 2. Food from local restaurants will be available to buy. More information is available at northsyracuse.org.

So, when summertime comes to Clay, the living will be easy, or at least the evenings can be. Three different convenient venues, a huge variety of music, available food from local restaurants, and what’s more, no big ticket prices. Enjoy and let the good times roll!

Town of Clay Tuesday Concerts

June 15

Mood Swing; food by Meghan MacMurphy’s Restaurant

June 22

Letizia and the Z Band; food by Applebee’s Restaurant

June 29

Matt Chase and Thunder Canyon; food by Twin Tree’s III Restaurant. Fireworks follow concert at Great Northern Mall.

July 6

Soul Mine; food by Uno Chicago Grill Restaurant

July 13

Toby Franklin Band; food by Meghan MacMurphy’s Restaurant)

July 20