MENU OF STORIES
(latest at the top)

Whale Watching, 8/31/05
Marshfield Fair, 8/24/05
North River, 8/17/05
World's End, Hingham, 8/10/05
Plymouth Waterfront, 8/3/05
Blue Hill, 7/27/05
Loring Hall Cinema, Hingham, 7/20/05
Band Concerts, 7/13/05
Summer Concerts, 7/13/05
Adams House, Quincy, 7/6/05
Nantasket Beach, Hull, 6/29/05

Make a night of it

Pack a picnic and stop for supper at a local park, pond or beach on your way to the bandstand.
Grab an ice cream at your favorite ice cream shop before or after the concert.
Invite some neighbors to go with you.

IF YOU GO

Bring a lawn chair or blanket, and don’t forget the bug spray.

Maureen King of Milton dances to the music with her 4-month-old daughter, Emily.

In harmony on the green

Children talk and play on the steps of the gazebo on Milton’s town green as the band Curragh’s Fancy plays. The band members are Michael Kelley of Vermont, Bob Fowkes of Braintree and Dave Leahy of Stoneham. The summer concert series in Milton will continue through Aug. 23, with concerts at 6:30 on Tuesday evenings. Click to read Milton's listings.

It’s early evening, and a warm breeze carries the smells of damp grass and children slathered with bug spray and sunscreen.

There are bright splashes of color all around the gazebo on Milton’s town green, where families have laid out beach blankets and unfolded lawn chairs.

Soon, the music begins, and people start swaying, snapping their fingers or tapping their feet to Celtic music.

The group, Curragh’s Fancy, is performing. On other evenings in other towns, people will listen to country tunes, blues and even a bit of rock.

Free summer concerts are a tradition in more than a dozen South Shore communities. Many are paid for with arts council grants.

John Danner of Milton plays with his children, Allie, 5, and Zach, 3.

At the Milton concert, older residents form an outer circle around the gazebo. They sit in lawn chairs, heads nodding with the upbeat tempo, smiling during more melancholy songs.

Closer to the gazebo, parents sitting on blankets keep watchful eyes on children’s play. Some couples exchange child-watch duty so they can mingle with neighbors.

The children dance, hold cartwheel contests and play tag, stopping only when an ice cream truck pulls up to the curb. The 4-foot-and-under crowd starts a small stampede until parents rush in to bring order.

Behind the gazebo, a touch football game for all ages starts up. Regulars say pickup baseball, soccer and football games are part of the concert experience for those who’d rather toss a ball than sit in a chair.

Susan Milliken of Milton gets snacks out for her children, Kara, 4, Jami, 2, and William, 2.

As some of the children tire out, they find their way back to their parents. They curl up on blankets for a time, then jump back up to play.

“We try to come every week,” says Ann Gallagher, 50, of Milton, who is there with her sister, Susan Gallagher. “... Everyone gets together to relax, and it’s always a beautiful night.”

Eleni Himaras
The Patriot Ledger