He runs by it every day. It never seemed to be in use. The beautiful brick bandstand in Farragut Park was just sitting there, a wonderful community spot not being enjoyed by the community.
K Street resident Corey Dinopoulos is what you might call a “do-er.” So he started making some calls to see how he could help revitalize the bandstand and bring some music to the neighborhood. “I grew up in Dracut and we used to go to the town center on summer evenings and listen to live music performed in the town’s gazebo – it was a big part of my childhood. So I thought ‘well, why can’t we bring some of that here to Southie?’”
Corey reached out to the City’s Director of Arts and Culture Julie Burros as well as the City Point Neighborhood Association’s Joanne McDevitt to include them in the thinking and planning process. Senator Linda Dorcena-Forry’s office got behind the idea as well, and on Thursday July 28th at 6:30 pm the bandstand in Farragut will host its first concert in a long time, featuring Curragh’s Fancy, a local band well known for their annual participation in the St. Patrick’s Day breakfast.
“It’s been great working with the neighborhood associations and other interested groups in the area. It’s important to bridge that perceived “millennial/yuppie vs. originally from Southie” gap and let people know that we are just as interested in improving our neighborhood as everyone else. We want to create events and places for all to enjoy. We are also hoping to get some shuttle service lined up for the concert so we can bring some of our older residents out for an evening of live music,” he said.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation will staff the event and make sure the bathrooms are open and clean for the evening. Corey and his partners have received generous donations from Senator Forry, Rep. Collins, Caught in Southie and other sponsors to cover the cost of the band and insurance for the event.
Put it on the calendar! Thursday July 28th 6:30 pm at Farragut Park. You can find out more details on Facebook.
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