Photos courtesy of David Dresdow

Concerts in the Park, Delavan’s time-honored, tune-filled summertime extravaganza is about to get underway with a number of bands, shows, and special events on the calendar through mid-September.

Heading into the free event’s 20th season, one of the concert series’ lead organizers, Al Buchholz, says this year’s list of shows, taking place on 33 dates, is filled with fan-favorites and new surprises.

“We have, what we consider, one of our best lineups coming up,” says Al, who is vice president and treasurer of the Friends of the Phoenix Park Bandshell, the volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization that oversees one of Delavan’s best known community landmarks.

“Of the 20 or so groups we have come in, we try to have at least five of them be different from the last two or three years,” he adds. “All of these bands that we’ve got coming are Summerfest level or better. They’re all professionals.”

This year’s Concerts in the Park series kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 23, with headliner Feels Like the First Time, a Foreigner tribute band. The full 2026 concert schedule is on the Phoenix
Park Bandshell website.

David Dresdow

While live music from local and national acts is the heartbeat of Concerts in the Park, this year’s program has several special events of note, including several themed shows. The Phoenix Park Bandshell is one of multiple locales within Delavan taking part in the city’s 10-day celebration of America 250 as the country gears up for its own milestone on Independence Day in July.

Patriotic-themed Concerts in the Park performances are scheduled on Fridays, June 26 and July 3, and Saturdays, June 27 and July 4, to celebrate this year’s milestone Independence Day extravaganza.

A reading of the Declaration of Independence, a flag ceremony, performances of the National Anthem, and the U.S. Military Veteran’s Parade of Colors are in the mix of events during Delavan’s 10 Days of Patriotic Pride event at the bandshell.

Independence Day-themed music includes local performances from Gary Stebnitz and the Watertown 1st Brigade and Palmyra-Eagle Community bands. Eric Diamond, a Neil Diamond tribute act, also is performing during the commemorative event, as is Ain’t That America, a John Mellencamp tribute act.

Back by popular demand, Al says two special light shows are on the calendar this summer, each lighting up the Delavan night skies.

“That’s the biggest show I get requested,” Al says. “People have consistently been saying to me, ‘Why aren’t we doing that again?’ It kind of blows the top off the place. It’s a major thing.

The first is scheduled on Saturday, July 25, when Kashmir, a Led Zeppelin tribute band, performs; the second will close out the season on Saturday, Sept. 19, when Think Floyd, a Pink Floyd tribute band, performs.

In the past, light shows against the backdrop of Pink Floyd music have been held at the bandshell. But Al says this year’s plans put a whole new twist on the experience.

“Essentially, what we had before was a light show that had Pink Floyd music in the background,” he says. “Now, the music and the light show will be on equal footing, so it should be substantially cooler and fun.”

Al also points to Jazz in the Park on Saturday, May 30, as another noteworthy event on the calendar. Jazz musicians from Delavan-Darien schools will perform at 2 p.m. Later in the day, at 7 p.m., the jazzy Joel Baer Band, will take to the stage.

“Hopefully that inspires some of the students to continue their studies,” Al says. “We’ve got to keep building up young musicians so we can have middle-aged and old musicians.”

David Dresdow

Al, who has been helping oversee Concerts in the Park since the bandshell was completed in 2007, credits dedicated volunteers and strong support from people and businesses with Concerts in the Park’s growth throughout the past two decades.

“Our budget slowly increases every year,” he says. “We’ve been getting thousands of people for each of the shows. It is popular, and we’re happy to be a part of that.”

As he sees it, Al says the bandshell and the outdoor concerts are a natural tie-in to Delavan’s deep ties to music from previous generations.

“The heritage of music in Delavan is over a hundred years old,” he points out. “This used to be the hot spot in the country for big bands. Back in the 1930s and 1940s, this was the place to go.”