It’s time to get your beach chairs and picnic baskets ready and head out to enjoy music at multiple free and cheap rates Outdoor music series this summer.
Three area wineries and two Ames city parks will host live music series this spring and summer.
Prairie Moon Winery and Vineyards in Ames, Snus Hill Winery in Madrid and The Cellar at White Oak near Cambridge all have live music on Sundays, with Snus also hosting bands on Friday nights.
Roosevelt Park is the location for Roosevelt Summer Sundays concerts. Bandshell Park hosts Ames on the Half Shell concerts on Friday nights in June and every Thursday in June and July by the Ames Municipal Band.
The Ames Municipal Band begins the 2022 season on Thursday
More than an internationally renowned bass-baritone, Simon Estes is a popular part of the Iowa music scene.
Estes often makes an appearance Ames Municipal Band during one of his concerts each season, and this year he is the Thursday soloist for the opening night of the concert series.
More:Find out more about Simon Estes in our 2017 interview
Estes grew up in Centerville and rose to fame from humble beginnings as the son of a miner and grandson of an enslaved man. He overcame poverty and racism to join the ranks of the world’s most popular opera singers.
“Growing up, I never dreamed I would go further east than maybe Chicago,” Estes told the Ames Tribune in 2017. I haven’t invited myself yet.”
The municipal band is led by Michael Golemo, who is in his 20th year directing the Ames Municipal Band. He also serves as head of bands at Iowa State University.
The hour-long concerts are free and begin at 8 p.m. at Bandshell Park, located on the corner of Duff Avenue and Sixth Street.
The concerts feature popular music, light classical music, anthems and marches, as well as music from films and Broadway.
Although there is some seating at the park, spectators are encouraged to bring beach chairs or blankets.
The guest soloists 2022 are:
- June 2 – Ames City Council Night. Vocal soloist, Simon Estes.
- 9 June – Flag Day Ceremony. Vocal soloist Mindy Phomvisay. Trumpet soloist Justin Smiley-Oyen.
- June 16 – Vocal soloist, Cathy Compton.
- June 23 – Vocal soloist, Katharine Hensley. Trombone soloist Nathan Dishman.
- June 30 – Patriotic concert and veterans’ appreciation. Vocal Soloist, Chad Sonka.
- July 7th — Solo Vocalist, Chris Johnson. Saxophonist Mike Giles.
- July 14 – Vocal soloist Miles Morgan.
- July 21 – Vocal soloist Jennifer Rodgers.
- July 28 — Solo Vocalist, Denver Bierman.
Ames on the Half Shell is “Happy Hour for a Good Cause”
The Ames Jaycees host Ames on the half shell with live music in Bandshell Park every Friday until the end of June.
The Jaycees dubbed the event “Happy Hour for a Cause” because proceeds go to support the group’s projects and community events.
Admission is $5. Food and drinks are available for purchase, with different food trucks participating each week. Children are welcome at the family-friendly events when accompanied by an adult.
The concerts are held every Friday from 5pm to 8pm with the following lineup of bands and food trucks.
- June 3 – Stranger Than Fiction. Food truck, Macubana.
- June 10 – Project TDSS. Food Truck, Weinie Wonderland & Smoke Shack.
- June 17 – The Rag Doll Incident. Food Trucks, Carlos Quesadillas and Crazy Lou’s.
- June 24 – Burnin’ Sensations. Food Trucks, Smiles & Gyros and Kona Ice.
More:Avey Grouws Band, Matt Woods Perform KHOI Spring Concert; Station celebrates new location
A sangria is included with Prairie Moon admission
Musicians perform on the corn crib stage Prairie Moon Winery and Vineyards every Sunday afternoon in summer.
Admission is $5 and includes a glass of sangria. There’s wine, beer, sangria and some soft drinks for sale, as well as brick-oven pizza and charcuterie platters for hungry concert-goers. Visitors can also bring their own food and soft drinks, but alcohol outside is not allowed.
The winery is located north of Ames at 3801 W. 190th St.
The family-friendly concerts take place from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with the following cast.
- June 5 – Opus Taylor
- June 12 – Burnin’ Sensations
- June 19 – Babers
- June 26 – Larry Myer
- July 10th – Vinyl vagabonds
- July 17 – Jesse and the Medicine Men
- July 24 – Dan Jones & Friends
- July 31 – Ryne Doughty
- August 7 — Burnin’ Sensations
- August 14 – Vannesa’s band
- August 21 – Dueling Pianos
- August 28 – Old School
- 4 Sep – Stranger than Fiction
- 11 Sep – Emil
- September 18 – Vinyl vagabonds
- September 25 – Damon Dotson
More:5 fun things to do in and around Ames this weekend
Snus Hill Winery hosts concerts on Fridays and Sundays
Snus Hill Winery offers free entry to its summer outdoor concerts, which take place on Fridays from 6.30pm to 9.30pm and on Sundays from 2pm to 5pm.
The winery has a variety of wines, beers, sodas, and water for sale, and a food truck is often on site during concerts. Outside food and soft drinks are allowed, but do not bring outside alcohol.
Snus Hill is located at 2183 320th St., Madrid.
The winery is closed to the public this weekend but will start up again with concerts on June 10th.
- June 10 – The Soul Seekers
- June 12 – Jimmy the weasel
- June 17 – Old School
- June 19 – Fat Tuesday
- June 26 – Burnin’ Sensations
- July 1 – The Rag Doll Incident
- July 3 – The Raisin Pickers
- July 8th – The Soul Seekers
- July 10 — INFUZION
- July 15 – Beautiful bangs
- July 17 – Burnin’ Sensations
- July 24 – Old School
- July 29 – The Drama Kings
- July 31 – Vinyl vagabonds
- August 5 – Stranger Than Fiction
- August 7th – The Soul Seekers
- Aug 14 — Tropical Party with steel drum band Tropical Steel
- 19 Aug — iNFUZiON
- August 21 – Burnin’ Sensations
- August 28 – Slipstream
- September 4th – The Raisin Pickers
- September 11 – Vinyl vagabonds
- 18 Sep – Burnin’ Sensations
Roosevelt Summer Sundays feature free concerts in City Park
Now in its 19th season, Roosevelt Summer Sundays are free concerts held in Roosevelt Park every Sunday from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. through the end of August.
Ames City Park at Ninth Street and Roosevelt Avenue was the playground of Roosevelt Elementary School before the school closed about 20 years ago.
At the time the school closed, the Friends of Roosevelt Park applied to the city to preserve the green space as a park. The nonprofit group supports the Roosevelt Summer Sundays series through donations. Voluntary donations are also collected at the concerts.
Alcohol and tobacco are not allowed in the park, but concert-goers are welcome to bring food and non-alcoholic beverages.
The rain location is 130 S. Sheldon Ave.
- June 5th – Vinyl vagabonds
- June 12 – Avey Grouw’s band
- June 19 — Sumpin’ Doo
- June 26 – Randy Burk and the prisoners
- July 3 – Slice the Sky
- July 10 – Molly Nova & the Hawk with Bryce Janey
- July 17 – David Zollo & The Body Electric
- July 24 – Des Funk
- July 31 – The Soul Seekers
- August 7th – King Wylde
- August 14 – Iowa No Mountain Boys
- August 21 – Son of Peruchus
- August 28 — Bob Dorr & Friends with Jeff Petersen
More:Ames musician King Wylde was “Artist of the Month” in May 2021, talks about “Faultless” EP
More:Slice the Sky will premiere at Nova Labs’ spring launch, Nostalgia in Reverse
The Cellar at White Oak features a Sunday Music Series
Located in rural Cambridge, the basement at White Oak is hosting a Sunday Music Series this summer with bands playing from 4pm to 7pm
Founded in 2015 by John Barber and Barb Hokel, the winery is located at 15065 NE White Oak Drive.
Wine, sangria, beer, soft drinks and food are available for purchase. Outside food and soft drinks are allowed, but outside alcohol is prohibited.
If the weather is bad, the concerts will take place indoors.
The winery opens on Sundays at 1:00 p.m. during normal business hours. A $5 entry fee begins at 3:00 p.m
- June 5th – Avey Grouw’s band
- June 12 — INFUZION
- June 19 – Royce Johns
- June 26 – Old school
- July 17 – Ritch Henderson & Mar De Brooks
- July 24 – Avey Grouw’s band
- August 7 – The sons of Gladys Kravitz
- August 28 – Cover that
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