Due to the snow storm and snow removal there will be no parking on Main Street Until Further Notice
Summer, small town, a beautiful evening, a setting sun, the friendly noise of friends conversing, a Village Green surrounded by a rich display of flowers, closed streets and folks in chairs spill over and fill the space, an instrument sounds to find its key and then, then the music and magic begins. It’s hard to fully capture in words the visual and emotional mix that our beloved Summer Concert Series brings to us. It is something that makes our summer season, it is an ultimate staycation and in the most valuable way creates community bonds. Music is an elixir and helps us find common ground.
This all started over 20 years ago with a single concert at the old bandstand in Stanley Deming Park. From that single foray came the concert series we know today. When the Village purchased Railroad Green in 2002 little did we know how creating a beautiful environment and closing a street would create a wonderful venue for gathering.
None of this would have been possible without the work and passion for music that Bill Iurato brought to organizing these concerts. It was Bill who urged the concerts be at Railroad Green.
Bill took over managing the series early on and ran with it, creating a diverse schedule of talent and musical breadth – from one concert to twenty plus. Over time, there have been favorites, crowd pleasers that concert goers
anticipated such as Emish, Some Guys and a Broad, Elisa Jones, Free Shrimp Band, the NY Wind Symphony and Latin Night to name a few. It was our objective when we developed this series that artists were compensated and valued for their talent. It was also an opportunity for the community to recognize and appreciate the artists and musicians amongst us.
Imitation is a true form of flattery. There are now concerts in our sister Villages, Florida and Greenwood Lake as well as in
Sugarloaf, Chester and beyond.
During the beginning of COVID when we were so isolated, we partnered with the Historical Society and did Facebook Live concerts from the Old School Baptist Meeting House and the following year we brought the concerts back to Stanley Deming Park using the natural amphitheater of the large field so we could do the necessary distancing. Now they have returned to Railroad Green with a full season of music. Through all of this, Bill guided, grew, defined, redefined the concert series.
Recently, the Board and I received a letter from Bill that he plans to retire.
“It’s been 18 years since I took over and it’s time to move on. I would like to thank the Board for putting their trust in me to bring music and enjoyment to our wonderful Village. I especially would like to thank all the residents and musicians of the Village, Town surrounding areas for supporting the concert series all these years.As Dick Wells would say, “The Show Must Go On.”
Bill, on behalf of the Village Board and the Community, I want to say thank you for your exceptional work and a legacy of memories and community and cultural connection – you have impacted the lives of many. This has been an extraordinary gift and we are grateful.
The next Village Board meeting will take place on Monday, October 17, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street.
