Summer Sunset Series Returns to the Grove Stage Sundays in June

School may be out, but summer kicks off in Oxford with the return of the Summer Sunset Series. The annual summer concert series features free weekly concerts on The Grove stage striving to highlight the diverse music traditions of the Hills region.

This annual event is a community effort with partners from the Chamber of Commerce, University of Mississippi Museum, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, the Ford Center, and the Center for the Study of Southern Culture working to engage local artists. Visit Oxford provides key support by ensuring a professional sound crew helps the artists showcase their talents.

“It is a community effort with a network of community partners exploring different artists,” shared Wayne Andrews, Director of the Arts Council. The process for booking the series kicks off with a community call for artists. “The group is seeking to find artists representative of the region and has an open call. The results of the online submission form are shared between all the groups providing an ongoing resource to find artists for future events.”

The Sunset Series performances start at 6 pm each Sunday in June. The community is invited to bring lawn chairs, picnic baskets, and blankets. It seems to have become a community tradition that no one sits on the green semi-circle turf in front of the stage as it fills with children running, playing, and dancing to the music. All five weeks of June will feature performances hosted by a different committee member.

The opening weekend, June 2, will be hosted by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council with the kickoff party featuring Live music from Alice Hasen and Josh Threlkeld Trio. Hasen has played previously as part of Black Water Trio. There will be free hot dogs by Farm Bureau (while they last), balloon art by Steve Thomas, and a pop-up art show from the Oxford Artist Guild.

June 9 features Sir Rod & Blues Doctors hosted by the Oxford Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. “Fun, Blues, Dancing, and More”: that’s the motto of Sir Rod & the Blues Doctors, a soulful, funky, Deep South trio bound by a family connection to the late Sterling “Mr. Satan” Magee, the greatest one-man blues band who ever lived.

The Ford Center hosts the popular House band for Thacker Mountain Radio, The Yalobushwhackers, on June 16. The core of the band includes Slade Lewis, Ricky Burkhead, and Mark Yacovone, led by Paul Tate. The University of Mississippi Museum will host Honey Boy & Boots on June 23. The guitar and cello duo has a sweet and unique sound, blending the rich notes of cello with acoustic guitar. Their sound embodies Americana, folk, alt-country, and blues with harmonies and a hint of classical notes. The series wraps up on June 30 as the Center for the Study of Southern Culture presents Terry “Harmonica” Bean.

As the series is an outdoor event rain can impact the start time of the performance. The community is encouraged to follow the social media of the partners to keep informed of any changes due to weather.