This Saturday, February 27, the Lakes Area Music Festival will continue its virtual winter concert series. The event will feature a variety of genres performed by two New York City-based singers. The festival was created in 2009 to bring arts and performances to Brainerd.

Since then, the program has grown to yearly in-person festivals. In 2020, COVID-19 restrictions meant that they had to adjust to virtual performances. There are some benefits of hosting the event virtually, especially because it can make the performances more interactive.

A virtual event also means they can feature artists from around the county. Saturday’s performance is called “Transcending the Night” and features two New York City-based opera singers, soprano Brandie Sutton and baritone Justin Austin.

The festival will also host a virtual coffee and Q&A beforehand so the audience can meet the performances. Both the event and the Q&A will be free.

The show will be at 7 pm on Saturday. It will be available on the Lakes Area Music Festival’s Facebook page and on their website.

By — Betsy Melin