Lunch on the Lawn offers live music on Fridays

No matter what’s on your menu or in your brown bag, a live side will be available the next four Fridays for free thanks to the partnership between the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Springfield Museum of Art (SMOA).

Lunch on the Lawn will offer live music, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside the SMOA beginning Friday as well as Aug. 12, 19 and 26. Admission is free, and the SMOA is located at 107 Cliff Park Rd.

Considered the Music of Summer, it’s a partnership that endures and that’s reflected in the atmosphere.

“It’s so great to collaborate with the museum on this series. The space is welcoming and their participation and the support of the other donors allows us to keep this a free event for everyone to attend,” said Lou Ross, SSO executive director. “We have a nice variety of performances this year: Bluegrass, jazz, classical and the tried-and-true standards with GoodVibes.”

It wouldn’t be a Lunch on the Lawn series without GoodVibes, the unofficial house band with local musicians who will open the series on Friday. They’ll mix a combination of smooth jazz, swing and standard favorites.

Next up on Aug. 12 is the SSO Woodwind Quartet, which will perform a variety from classical compositions to popular tunes with something for everybody.

Aug. 19 will be a warmup for the first Springfield Jazz and Blues Festival opening later that day featuring the Bob Niederriter Trio. Niederriter is a composer, guitarist and arranger who has studied and performed with several jazz and modern classical greats.

The series finale features The Buttermilk Biscuit Boys, a traditional bluegrass band that plays genre classics from Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs and the Stanley Brothers along with originals and instrumentals. They bring their own personalities, joking and playing fast and authentic bluegrass.

Attendees should bring their own lawn chair or blanket; an outdoor tent is provided. People can bring their own lunch or box lunches will be sold for $6 and includes a beverage while they last.

In case of inclement weather, the shows will be moved inside the SMOA.

Ross encourages anyone who wants a fun way to spend a lunch hour in a scenic setting with music to stop by. For more information, go to springfieldsym.org/.

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