Mississippi Music By The Waterfront is back in Bemidji for its 4^th series of food, fun and tunes.

“It’s really nice to see the community come out. We’ve got about 250-300 people here tonight. It’s not a very warm night but it’s a beautiful sunny night, and I think people enjoy getting out with their families and their friends. There’s a lot of people who haven’t seen each other over the long, long winter in Bemidji and they’re all out tonight,” says Kate Tesar, a volunteer with Mississippi Music by the Waterfront.

But Bemidji isn’t the only place where you can find a free outdoor concert this year, as Walker Bay Live is celebrating its 2^nd year.

“It’s a great combination of locals and we also have a lot of visitors that come from all over and we have a lot of seasonal weekend people too that love to get together, so everybody kind of gets to know each other and it’s just a great evening just to relax and have fun and enjoy Walker,” says Kristine Holly, the organizer for Walker Bay Live.

“It’s kind of a kick-off for the summer right now for us, isn’t it?” adds Mary Beth Hansen, a volunteer for Walker Bay Live.

Mississippi Music By The Waterfront and Walker Bay Live have various activities for the public. Both events are free because of support from sponsors and support from attendees.

“The people that come to the event also donate and we ask for any type of donation they want to give; we came up with the slogan ‘Walker Bay Live is worth 5’ so a lot of people do give, and it’s kind of kept it alive last year and we’re very proud of that. The people do value the arts and they do value live music and they keep contributing, so we’re gonna keep bringing live music,” says Holly.

Mississippi Music By The Waterfront takes place every Wednesday from 6 pm to 8 pm. Walker Bay Live is held every Thursday night from 5 pm to 9 pm. Both offer a wide range of different types of music, so you’re bound to hear something you like.

“There’s a wide variety of different types of musical acts all throughout the summer. Bluegrass, we have Tex Mex, blues, local artists,” says Nate Mathews, treasurer of the board for Mississippi Music By The Waterfront.

Tesar adds, “We have a woman from Minneapolis who’s a jazz singer whose family has been singing bebop and jazz for a couple generations so it’s really – we have something for people of all ages from tiny little infants to, I see people in their 80s and 90s who are here.”

You can find the Mississippi Music By The Waterfront schedule here. You can find the Walker Bay Live schedule here.

By — Shirelle Moore