Miss Amy Rocks 'Kids in the Park'

Locals know Lawrenceville Main Street’s concert series held in Weeden Park is the place to be on Thursday nights during the summer.

Weeden Park was also the place to be this past Saturday (June 16), as about 150 people turned out for Lawrenceville Main Street’s inaugural Kids in the Park concert featuring Miss Amy.

A  from Ewing, Miss Amy had the children – and some adults in the audience – jumping, dancing, exercising, singing along and overall having fun.

“This was such a fun event to come out on a Saturday morning, seeing friends, dancing and singing with Miss Amy,” said Lawrence Township resident Amy Davis. “It really brings the community together.”

Her friend, Traci McMahon, echoed those feelings. “I wish this was every Saturday morning.”

And with luck, Kids in the Park might grow into a more frequent event.

Howard Nelson, president of Lawrenceville Main Street, said Music in the Park began 11 years ago as a one-time event.  This summer the concert series spans 10 Thursday nights.

“Hopefully this will become as broad as Music in the Park,” Nelson said of Kids in the Park.

Nelson envisions different types of family-friendly activities taking place in Weeden Park. “We want some exercise, dance, sport, and other activities. We are looking for more programs and are open to suggestions from the community. We want to make Lawrenceville a town people want to love and play in all the time, not just on special occasions.”

Lindsey Bohra, executive director of Lawrenceville Main Street, agreed.

“My impetus for wanting to do a children's concert is simple. We want to drive more young families to the downtown area to see what historic Lawrenceville has to offer. If they like what they see, they may want to become involved more in their community,” she said.

“Volunteers are the backbone of the Lawrenceville Main Street organization and we are always looking for fresh ideas and people to help us make the town we call home an even better place to live,” Bohra continued. “Our plan is to add other Kids in the Park themed days throughout the year if people respond well to the kids’ concert.”

She believes Music in the Park “is a well-established program with a loyal following of older adults but we wanted to attract new people to the idea of music in the park. Some people shy away from the evening concerts thinking the concerts are only for adults and we want people to know that it is really for everyone.  

“In fact, its continued popularity has allowed us to increase the number of free concerts from 8 last year to 10 this year, 11 if you count the kids concert!” Bohra said. “If young families come to the Miss Amy show, they may get more comfortable with the idea of coming to nighttime concerts. Children are welcome to listen to the music or simply run around in the back while their parents enjoy a night out! All are welcome!”

Miss Amy played many of her classic tunes. Kids swam like mermaids and did the “Penguin Dance.”

Township resident Sherri Ahlers brought her two children – Nicholas, 6½, and Kaitlyn, 4 – to the concert. “It is a great event for kids. The concerts [Music in the Park] are at 7. They [her children] are done for the night [by that time]. This is great!”

Miss Amy performs regularly at The Lawrenceville School, where Kaitlyn attends preschool. Miss Amy noticed many long-time fans in the audience at Weeden Park from her performances at Lawrenceville School, the Lawrence Branch of the Mercer County Library and other local places.

For Miss Amy, “my favorite part [events like Kids in the Park] is knowing and seeing how many families come regularly. It is nice to be a part of the families lives in this way.”

In addition to great music, the Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Co. sold breakfast food as part of fundraising efforts for their 100th anniversary in 2015. Artists from the Lawrenceville Main Street Artists’ Network, meanwhile, painted children’s faces.

If you have any suggestions for future events for Lawrenceville Main Street, please email them to: director@lawrencevillemainstreet.com.

For a complete list of upcoming Music in the Park concerts at Weeden Park visit: http://www.lawrencevillemainstreet.com/events/musicpark.htm