Fairfield arts center kicks off outdoor concert series

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Arts & Convention Center hosted Thursday the first of six outdoor concerts it has planned for the summer.

The group Bambu kicked off the arts center’s outdoor summer concert series by performing its trademarked blend of Reggae, South American and African styles.

“I love how much Fairfield loves this band,” said Fairfield Arts & Convention Center Executive Director Lindsay Bauer. “They have their cadre of superfans, and I love seeing them dance when Bambu plays. Thursday was like a huge dance party, which we need more of in our lives. The band is super talented and jive together so well, you’d never know they came together from all over the country to produce this amazing sound.”

The arts center set up a beer garden to serve beer, soda and bottled water. There was no popcorn served Thursday, but Bauer said her team is looking into whether they want to bring that back, which they did offering during the 2021 summer concert series.

The outdoor summer concert series will feature concerts every other Thursday from June 9 through Aug. 18. The next band in the series is Tropicante, and they will perform June 23. All concerts begin at 7 p.m. Bauer said this will be Tropicante’s first performance in Fairfield, but one of its leaders performed in Fairfield with a different band a few years ago.

“The response to that concert was so great that we booked Tropicante,” Bauer said.

The group is headed by Panamanian Edgar East and Colombian Karin Stein. It celebrates the dance music of Latin America and the Caribbean, much of it rooted in the myriad of rhythms originally brought to the Americas by African slaves.

Apart from its biweekly outdoor concerts, the arts center is preparing to host the Evelyn Gamrath Summer Camp at the Sondheim, a children’s theater camp from July 18-22. Kids ages 8-14 will rehearse from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that week, learning a script that they will perform for the public at 7 p.m. Friday, July 22. This year’s production is “Cinderella Saves the World.” The registration deadline is July 15.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com