Big-Band Insanity! 2013 Summer Concerts in the Parks

The Capri Big Band

Big-band fans, this is for you: a list of all 96 big-band concerts planned for this summer in parks in and around the Twin Cities, thanks to the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and Saint Paul Parks and Recreation. All are outdoors, most are free. Hat tip to Jerry Swanberg, big-band aficionado and host of KBEM's "Big Band Scene," for compiling this beast.

Big-band sounds aren't all you'll hear in parks around the cities. Here's the complete program of Minneapolis' Music and Movies in the Parks for 2013. And here's St. Paul's Music in the Parks schedule.

Brio Brass

91 Concerts by 36 Big Bands in 41 Parks

MAY

Sun, 5/12 – Capri Big Band - Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

Mon, 5/13 – BBB Jazz Orchestra - Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

Tues, 5/21 – Mpls Southwest High School Big Band & Combos, Lake Harriet – 6:30 PM 

Tues, 5/28 – Roseville Big Band - Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

Thur, 5/30 – South Mpls Community Jazz Band – Minnehaha Falls, Mpls – 7 PM

ACME Jazz

JUNE   

Sat, 6/01 – Jazz on the Prairie Big Band – Round Lake Park, Eden Prairie – 3 PM

Mon, 6/03 – Adam Meckler Orchestra – Rice Park, Downtown St. Paul – Noon

Mon, 6/03 – BBB Jazz Orchestra – Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls – 7:30 PM

Mon, 6/03 – Southside Big Band – Centennial Lakes Amphitheatre, Edina – 7 PM   

Tues, 6/04 – South Mpls Community Jazz Band – Como Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

Thur, 6/06 – Red Rock Swing Band – Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

Sun, 6/09 – 23rd Annual Minnesota Festival of Jazz on the Prairie, Staring Lake Amphitheater, Eden Prairie

• 2 PM – River City Jazz Orchestra

• 3 PM – Good News Big Band

• 4 PM – Just Friends Big Band

• 5 PM – ACME Jazz Company

• 6 PM – Bend in the River Big Band

• 7 PM – Jazz on the Prairie Big Band

Sun, 6/09 – Southside Big Band - Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul – 3 PM

Mon, 6/10 – Maple Grove Jazz Ens.–Maple Grove Town Green Amphitheater –7PM

Mon, 6/10 – Mpls Police Swing Band – Como Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

Tues, 6/11 – River City Jazz Orchestra – Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls – 7:30 PM

Thur, 6/13 – River City Jazz Orchestra – Como Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

Thur, 6/13 – Jazz on the Prairie Big Band – Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls – 7:30 PM

Mon, 6/17 – Southside Big Band – Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls – 7:30 PM

Tues, 6/18 – Roseville Big Band – Frank Rog Amphitheater, Roseville – 7:30 PM

Wed, 6/19 – Classic Big Band – Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

Wed, 6/19 – Good News Big Band – Centennial Lakes Amphitheatre, Edina – 7 PM  

Mon, 6/24 – Brio Brass – Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

Wed, 6/26 – Bend in the River Big Band – Centennial Lakes, Edina – 7 PM

Wed, 6/26 – Jazz on the Prairie Big Band – The Village at Mendota Heights – 7 PM 

Wed, 6/26 – Brio Brass – Minnehaha Falls Bandshell, Mpls – 7 PM

Thur, 6/27 – Bend in the River Big Band – Hopkins Downtown Park – 7 PM

Thur, 6/27 – Brio Brass – Casey Lake Park, North St Paul – 7 PM

Sat , 6/29 – Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Mears Park, Downtown St. Paul

• 1 PM – MPS Summer Jazz Around Mpls Youth Big Band – Youth Stage

• 1:30 PM – Brio Brass – Union Depot Stage

• 2 PM -– Stillwater High School X-tet – Dakota Foundation Youth Stage

• 4 PM – Main Stage – JazzMN Orchestra with Connie Evingson

• 5 PM – 6th St Stage – Adam Meckler Orchestra

Sat, 6/29 – Capri Big Band – Centennial Park, 6301 Shingle Creek, Brooklyn Center – 8 PM

Adam Meckler Orchestra

JULY  

Mon, 7/01 – Maple Grove Jazz Ensemble – Como Park Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

Tues, 7/02 – Pizzazz Jazz Band – Dance at Ojibway Park, Woodbury – 6:30 PM

Thur, 7/04 – Roseville Big Band – Frank Rog Amphitheater, Roseville – 7:30 PM

Thur, 7/04 – Jazz on the Prairie Big Band – Round Lake, Eden Prairie – 5:30 PM

Thur, 7/04 – Wolverines Big Band – Excelsior Commons – 6-10 PM

Thur. 7/04 – St. Croix Jazz Orchestra – Pioneer Park, Stillwater – 7 PM

Sun, 7/07 – Beasley’s Big Band – Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

Mon, 7/08 – River City Jazz Orchestra – Centennial Lakes, Edina – 7 PM

Tues, 7/09 – Bend in the River Big Band – Town Square Park, Blaine – 7 PM

Tues, 7/09 – Brio Brass – Minnetonka Civic Center Campus - 7 PM

Wed, 7/10 – Brio Brass – White Bear Avenue Parade - 6:30 PM

Thur, 7/11 – Classic Big Band – Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls – 7:30 PM

Thur, 7/11 – Jazz on the Prairie Big Band – Hopkins Downtown Park – 7 PM

Thur, 7/11 – Andrew James Big Band – White Bear Marketfest, 4701 Hwy 61 – 6 PM

Sat, 7/13 – Maple Grove Jazz Ensemble – Maple Grove Days – Town Green Amphitheater – time TBD

Sun, 7/14 – Stan Bann’s Big Bone Band – Como Lakeside Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM

Mon, 7/15 – Jazz on the Prairie Big Band – Centennial Lakes, Edina – 7 PM

Tues, 7/16 – Tim Patrick & His Blue Eyes Band – Ojibway Park, Woodbury – 7 PM

Wed, 7/17 – Bend in the River Big Band – City Park, Victoria – 6:45 PM

Thur, 7/18 – BBB Jazz Orchestra – Hilde Performance Center, Plymouth – 7 PM

Thur, 7/18 – Roseville Big Band – Salo Park, St. Anthony Village – 7 PM

Thur, 7/18 – Bend in the River Big Band – Rivers Edge Park, Elk River – 7 PM

Thur, 7/18 – Zuhrah Flames Big Band – Bryant Square Park, Mpls – 6:30 PM

Tues, 7/23 – Minnesota Jazz Orchestra, Normandale Lake, Bloomington – 7 PM

Tues, 7/23 – Bend in the River Big Band – Como Lakeside Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM

Tues, 7/23 – Capri Big Band – MN History Center, DT St. Paul – 6:30 PM

Thur, 7/25 – Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra – Rice Park, DT St. Paul (Dance) 7:15 – 10 PM

Thur, 7/25 – Brio Brass – Hilde Performance Center, Plymouth – 7 PM

Sun, 7/28 – Jazz on the Prairie Big Band – Staring Lake, Eden Prairie – 7 PM

Mon, 7/29 – Brio Brass – Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls – 7:30 PM

Tues, 7/30 – Red Rock Swing Band – Dance at Ojibway Park, Woodbury – 6:30 PM

Tues, 7/30 – Roseville Big Band – Frank Rog Amphitheater, Roseville – 7:30 PM

Tues, 7/30 – Classic Big Band & the Nostalgics – Boerboom Park, Osseo – 7 PM

Tues, 7/30 – White Bear Big Band – Shoreview Community Center Pavilion – 4 PM

Tues. 7/30 – Zuhrah Flames Big Band - Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

River City Jazz Orchestra

AUGUST

Thur, 8/01 – Bend in the River Big Band – Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls – 7:30 PM

Thur, 8/01 – Minnesota Jazz Orchestra – Lakefront Park, Hudson, WI – 7 PM

Sun, 8/04 – Roseville Big Band – Centennial Lakes Amphitheatre, Edina – 7 PM

Sun, 8/04 – Tim Patrick & His Blue Eyes Band – Lake Harriet, Mpls – 5:30 PM

Sun, 8/04 – Brio Brass – Canadian Days Parade, Little Canada – 12 Noon

Tues, 8/06 – Bend in the River Big Band – Minnetonka Amphitheater – 7 PM

Wed, 8/07 – EXECS Big Band – Centennial Lakes Amphitheatre, Edina – 7 PM

Thur, 8/08 – Bend in the River Big Band – Central Park, Faribault – 7 PM

Thur, 8/08 – Swingbeat Big Band – Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul – 7 PM

Wed, 8/14 – Andrew James Big Band – Eagan Marketfest, Central Park – 5:30 PM

Thur, 8/15 – Moonlight Serenaders – Fillbrown House, White Bear Lake – 6 PM

Fri, 8/16 – Brio Brass – Sounds of MN, Ettinger Field, South St. Paul – 7 PM

Wed, 8/21 – Moonlight Serenaders – Centennial Lakes Amphitheatre, Edina – 7 PM

Sat. 8/24 – Red Rock Swing Band – MN State Fair, DNR Stage (dancing)

• 5 Shows: 10 AM, 11 AM, 2 PM, 4 PM, 7-9 PM

Sat, 8/24 – Capri Big Band – Martin Luther King Park, 4055 Nicollet, Mpls – 5 PM

Sun, 8/25 – Moonlight Serenaders – Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St, Paul –7 PM

Wed, 8/28 – Zuhrah Flames Big Band – Minnehaha Falls Park, Mpls – 7 PM   

8/28 & /29 – Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra – MN State Fair, Heritage Stage – 10:30 AM

Moonlight Serenaders

SEPTEMBER   

Sun, 9/01 – Capri Big Band – Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls – 2 PM

Sun, 9/08 – Jazz on the Prairie BB – Landscape Arboretum, Chanhassen – 1 PM

Sun, 9/08 – Southside Big Band – St. Odilia Church, Shoreview – 12:30 PM 

Sun, 9/08 – Brio Brass – Jesse James Days, Northfield – 12 Noon