Update: Jesse Smith Library had announced that the July 10 event will be held outside the library at the pavilion in Harrisville.
BURRILLVILLE – When the Riverwalk Concert Series kicks off Saturday, July 10, the event may open the season at a new venue secured specifically for inclement weather.
According to organizer Peggy Dudley, the final decision on the venue will be made at at 3 p.m. on Saturday, and will be posted on the Jesse Smith Memorial Library’s website, as well as on sandwich board signs placed outside the facility.
The series traditionally takes place at the Stillwater Mill Pavilion in front of the library, but organizers have secured Levy Ice Rink at Burrillville High School as a rain venue for the 2021 season.
Regardless of location, Jesse Liam Band will kick off the series Saturday night, with a free show starting at 6 p.m. An event staple since 2013, the trio plays both original music, and hits from the 1950s to today.
Put on by Friends of the Jesse Smith Memorial Library, the series will continue every Saturday night through August 31, with a total of seven concerts.
The concerts first began in 2008 as a way to give back to the community as a “thank you,” for support of the library, and have taken place every year since – save 2020, of course. In 2019, the events brought some 4,000 guests with blankets and lawn chairs to the pavilion.
Organizers pass around a bucket to collect funds needed for future concerts.
This year, the July 31st event will also serve as an opportunity to dedicate a new sign at the library, erected last year. The sign will be dedicated to the late Clinton Owen Remington III, a former legislator and active member of the community. Remington died in August of 2019, and his family requested donations to Friends of the Library in lieu of flowers.
The act resulted in enough funding to design and build the long-sought-after wood sign, which went up last year in front of the previously under-marked facility.
“This was originally planned for April 2020 but had to be cancelled due to Covid,” said Dudley of the dedication.
Now, the Friends group has sent invitations to all who donated, and is also inviting the general public to the event, scheduled for Saturday, July 31 at 5 p.m., just before a performance by the Kelley Lennon Band.
Dudley said when the forecast looks murky, the Friends will use the same process, along with social media, to notify the public of a change in venue for future concerts. The rink is located behind the school at 425 East Ave.
“The first thing we’re going to do is consult with the band and see where they want to play,” she said.
NRI NOW will announce this Saturday’s location with an update to this article, and with publication on our Facebook page.
Below is the full 2021 schedule for the Riverwalk Concert Schedule.
JULY 10 Jesse Liam Band
JULY 17 Brass Attack
JULY 24 All About Amy (formerly The Deloreans)
JULY 31 The Kelley Lennon Band
AUGUST 7 The Live Music Band
AUGUST 14 The Aviators
AUGUST 21 The Black Tie Band