Mark Down July 27 For Downtown Concert Rockabillaque

Maybe you have driven to Sidney or Scottsbluff to partake in their community concerts downtown.

Maybe you moved here from another community and enjoyed going downtown or to the park on a Friday or Saturday night to relax with the locals while listening to some music in the early evening.

Maybe you were like me who made sure you were attending any FREE music event so that you could dance the night away (those were my younger years).

Either way, it’s a great way to bring the community out! Summer Concert Series has been on my “project board” since I started with the City of Kimball three years ago. These events, which usually take place in the early evening, are great for the local eating establishments, bars and retail spaces in your downtown.

Community events like these are an opportunity to bring communities together and instill a sense of community pride. There are also economic benefits of attracting visitors, which stimulates activity to local businesses in our community. There are also social benefits to that are less visible are fostering sense of place, teach people new things, and strengthen relationships.

After the Tour De Nebraska event and enjoying Dave Stahla play an acoustic show downtown, it was decided to do a trial run of a FREE concert downtown.

On July 27th, Kimball will have its first community concert downtown and an event that we are calling the Rockabillaque.

The hopes are this event will be a kickoff event and that the community comes out and supports it so that we can start planning for next summer in hopes of having a band downtown for the months of June, July and August with the Farmer’s Day Street Dance in September. There will be food, games and music, as well as a beer garden from both Beer & Loathing and Chute #7.

 The kickoff for this event will be a quick car and bike run through the panhandle. We are asking all cars and bikes to meet at Beer & Loathing between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. with clutches out at 10:30 a.m.  There will be four stops with cars and bikes returning to Kimball around 4 p.m. at Chute #7.  If you have a classic car that you want to showcase during the later half of the day and you don’t want to do the run, we are welcoming those cars downtown to be showcased during the concert.  

 If you are interested in a friendly BBQ competition, you can contact Mark Whetham. The cook-off will be a short cook. Cooks meeting will be at 8 a.m. at the corner lot on 2nd and Chestnut. Judging will be at 5 p.m. and we will also start serving at that time.  It will be $8 a plate for tri tip, ribs, beans and chips. 

All proceeds will go toward funding future entertainment in the downtown area. We will also have a timed hot wing eating competition. Meet at the Bearded Bastard BBQ tent before 4:30 p.m.

 The Juke Joint Cruisers will take to the stage between 5:30 and 6 p.m.  They come from Colorado, playing covers from some of our favorites like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and more. If you attended the Veterans Day Dance in 2017 or the Farmer’s Day Fundraiser in 2018, you will recognize the band.

I know that there are some amazing dancers in this community who would we would love to attend to hopefully teach some of our youth some of their dancing moves. I’m not mentioning names or anything (winky face) but I’m talking to you Bob Kellner, Jim and Charlotta Young, Gary and Laura Hall, Dan and Linda McGinnis, just to name a few!! Come on out and let’s see your best dance moves.

 We encourage those who want to dress up to dress to impress! There is always a friendly competition amongst a certain group of friends to see who has the best outfit, and it would be great if they had some new competitors.

Don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs or blankets because seating will not be provided. Meet us at the corner of 2nd and Chestnut Street.

And please help me thank Keith Prunty, Christina Aguiniga, Terry Taylor, Mark Whetham, Marilyn Baker, Tyson Culek and both bars, Beer and Loathing and Chute #7, for helping with the kickoff to this event.

Please don’t forget that all proceeds will go into an account to fund future Downtown Community Events and Concerts.