Party in the Park.

At the end of last summer Mecklenburg County’s Park and Recreation department opened Romare Bearden Park at 300 South Church Street in Uptown Charlotte in homage to Charlotte-born artist, Romare Bearden. Known for his textured collages and modernist blending of abstraction and representation, Bearden often portrayed nostalgic recollections of the rural South, even though he spent much of his adult life away from the Queen City. In fact, the park’s design is meant to evoke elements of Bearden’s life and work with a bistro area reminiscent of the Parisian parks Bearden spent time in while studying in Paris.

Romare Bearden Park will play host to an array of events and activities throughout the year, and starting this week the Party in the Park Series will commence, running through September. This series will feature free weekly Wednesday performances with new and upcoming talent. May 7th kicks off the first performance with Peace & Love, a Queen City band known for their dance and funk classics. The concerts begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. Concert schedule through June:

• May 14 – Trial by Fire, a Journey tribute band
• May 21 – Who Rescued Who, a unique rock band with an updated sound similar to The Police or U2
• May 28 – Lipstick on a Pig, a classic rock band
• June 4 – The Extraordinaires, a band specializing in the classics and rhythm and blues
• June 11 – Too Much Sylvia, a versatile band that plays to the audience
• June 18 – Flashback, The Party Band, a great dance band playing the best of Motown, Beach and Disco
• June 25 – The Volunteers, U.S. Army Field Band, a patriotic band telling the Army story through rock, pop and country