June 24 through August 28 at Hudson Park
ABOUT
When you think of summer you think of sunny days, shorts, flip flops — and the Summer Sounds Concert Series at Hudson Park in New Rochelle. The beloved series of free concerts take place in the historic bandshell on the Long Island Sound shoreline, featuring a curated calendar of top bands and food trucks that draws 400 to 600 people every week all summer long.
HISTORY
The Summer Sounds Concert Series began in 1997 when Emil Paolucci (1915-2004), a member of the New Rochelle Council on the Arts (NRCA), began working with the City of New Rochelle on a plan to refurbish the Hudson Park bandshell and introduce free concerts in the park. Today the Summer Sounds Concert Series is produced by the NRCA in partnership with the New Rochelle Department of Parks and Recreation. Vin Parise, Commissioner of New Rochelle’s Dept. of Parks & Recreation, says “The Summer Sounds Concert Series every summer at Hudson Park is one of the most highly attended public events on our calendar year after year. We are thrilled to once again partner with NRCA for this annual tradition along our waterfront.”
METHOD
NRCA’s Summer Sounds Concert committee issues an RFP for musicians each January and meets in February to review submissions and set the calendar. (Last year 164 bands applied for 19 available slots.) The committee also solicits sponsorships, organizes food trucks, staffs a welcome booth at each concert and sells raffle tickets to help raise money for the concert series.
FUNDING
The Summer Sounds Concert Series is made possible, in part, by funding from local business sponsors. In 2016 an anonymous donor provided a $100,000 grant to NRCA that allowed the purchase of a state-of-the-art sound system. In 2018 support from Watermark Pointe and an anonymous donor helped purchase much-needed stage lighting.
LOCATION/PARKING
Hudson Park is located at 1 Hudson Park Road in New Rochelle; limited parking is available in the lot behind the stage (for handicapped access) as well as at the marina. Parking costs $5 per car, but there is no charge for those with a Park Passport, New Rochelle Parks & Recreation’s photo identification card. To obtain a Park Passport, photo identification is required, along with two permanent items that include name and address, i.e. driver’s license, vehicle registration, utility bill, tax statement, lease, or rent receipt. The cost is $40 per year for resident adults aged 16 to 61, or $50 for five years for resident seniors (ages 62 and up). Non-resident adults and seniors can purchase a Park Passport for $90
