Free outdoor music and movies begin
Summertime, and the outdoor movies and concerts are free —at least many of them around Howard County.
While most of these events will take place in Columbia and Ellicott City, the communities of Cooksville and Highland, among others, are also slated for free entertainment under the stars.
On tap for the hopefully soft summer nights are movies for adults, movies for kids, and jazz, rock, soul, blues, folk and bluegrass concerts.
The free events are being brought to the communities by the Columbia Association, Howard County Recreation and Parks, and the Wine Bin, a boutique wine store in Ellicott City.
On the waterfront
The Columbia events make up the Lakefront Summer Festival, which will be held on the lawn bordering, not surprisingly, the downtown Columbia lakefront, off of Little Patuxent Parkway. Admission is free and so is parking. The Columbia Association urges those attending to bring a blanket or a lawn chair and enjoy the live performances or movies.
The live concerts will take place five times a week — Tuesday through Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Sunday concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. The other performances start at 8 p.m. and end by 10 p.m.
Movie nights are Monday and Friday, then after Aug. 23, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The films begin at about 8:30 p.m., and they are for the whole family, with an accent on Disney productions for the kids.
If you feel like dancing away the summer, you can take part in the Dancin’ Under the People Tree from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Fridays, at the lakefront site. There will be free lessons on how to move to the music.
Among the movies set for the lakefront showings for the rest of June and into July are Moonrise Kingdom, starring Columbia’s own Edward Norton, along with Bruce Willis and Bill Murray. The movie, directed by Wes Anderson, has been hailed as a whimsical and wonderful tale of young love (June 20).
That will be followed by such Disney fare as The Incredibles (June 23), Saving Mr. Banks (June 27), Mary Poppins (June 30), Monsters University (July 7), and Frozen (July 11).
Then comes How to Train Your Dragon (July 14), Thor: The Dark World (July 18), Despicable Me (July 21), Iron Man 3 (July 25), and Dolphin Tale (July 28).
The free concerts, which run on the outdoor lakefront stage through July, include Image Band (June 21), Blue Train (June 22), Kia Bennett Band (June 24), the Eric Byrd Trio with the Brother Ray Band (June 26), RUUT (June 28) and the Rhonda Robinson Ensemble (June 29).
July will feature Little Sammy and Soulification (July 2), Retro-Rockets (July 6), Damon Foreman and Blue Funk (July 9), Gary & the Groove (July 10), Project Natale (July 12), Part Harmony (July 13), Dave Chappell Band (July 16), Rich Walton (July 17), Carl Filipiak (July 19), Julie Hall (July 26), Daniel Rego (July 27), Salbomple (July 30) and the Rollex Band (July 31).
For inclement weather postponements, and further information, call (410) 715-3127 or see www.columbiaassociation.org/services/lakefront-summer-festival.
Sunset serenades in Ellicott City
Meanwhile, Howard County Recreation & Parks will offer an outdoor stage for its Sunset Serenades on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., at Centennial Park South in Ellicott City.
Up until the end of July, there will be shows by the U.S. Army Field Band: the Jazz Ambassadors, which will swing out on both patriotic and jazz tunes (July 2) and Barry Louis Polisar, who provides children’s music (July 9).
Also set for Sunset are the Razors, known as a variety cover band (July 16), the U.S. Naval Academy Electric Brigade, offering a popular mix (July 23), and Ocho de Basto, offering Latin rock (July 30).
Taking to the road for Rec & Parks will be the Soul Island Rebels, which will play electric blues funk at the East Columbia Library Park on Cradlerock Way in Columbia (June 27), Charm City Limits, offering country and bluegrass at the Gary J. Arthur Community Center on Route 97 in Cooksville, and Naked Blue, a folk pop group at Schooley Mill Park on Hall Shop Road in Highland.
For further information, call (410) 313-4700 or see www.howardcountymd.gov/summerconcerts.htm.
Wine and movies
The Wine Bin, located on Main Street in Ellicott City, is screening outdoor movies each Saturday through the summer. It also is offering free wine samples before the 9 p.m. movie time. The films are shown in the store’s private parking lot, which will be closed at 8 p.m., so chairs can be set up.
The Wine Bin is not averse to patrons buying some wine to sip while watching the movies. In fact, the store will provide coolers to keep the wine and purchased beer nice and cool.
The first night of summer will be welcomed with Dirty Dancing (June 21). followed by Risky Business (June 26). The movies in July include, Iron Man, the first version, (July 5), Moonstruck (July 12), When Harry Met Sally (July 19) and Grease (July 26).
For further information, call (410) 465-7802 or see www.winebinec.com/summer-movies.php.